My response to the Minister of Labour in Nova Scotia

On June 28, 2010 I decided to send an email to Darrell Dexter our premier. In response Marilyn More responds to me in this emailJuly 27, 2010Tony LohnesDear Mr. Lohnes:Thank you for your email of June 28, 2010, to Premier Dexter and others. As I am the Minister responsible for the Labour Standards Code and the Retail Business Designated Day Closing Act, the Premier asked that I respond on his behalf.As I communicated to you last summer, we believe that the issue of Sunday shopping has been resolved in a balanced way. As you know, the Labour Standards Code gives many retail workers the right to refuse Sunday work (and work on designated retail closing days). Any workers who believe that they have been retaliated against because they exercised this right should contact our Labour Standards Division. Since the right to refuse Sunday work was introduced in 2006, there have been no complaints of violations. As you may be aware, the right to refuse Sunday work is unique to retail workers - all other workers must be available on Sundays if scheduled by the employer.I recognize that you, and others, do not agree with Sunday shopping. However, it has been established in Nova Scotia since 2006, and we do not intend to change that.Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.Sincerely,Marilyn MoreMinistercc Honourable Darrell Dexter, Premier (062910022) "
I then decided I had to respond to the minister with these comments in an email August 31, 2010

Dear Marilyn,First off I'm really disappointed that the Premier could not take some time to respond to my email. How I miss the old days when John Hamm was Premier of this province. He actually found time for me and responded to some of my emails. But not Darrell Dexter.You claim this issue has been resolved in balanced way!I know a few workers who were forced to work on Sunday. Firstly, they were made to feel guilty because management has to work on Sundays. Secondly, they were threatened that their hours would be cut if they didn't work on Sundays. Fear and guilt is hardly a choice.Some of them made calls to labour standards including me, to hear about their rights. They were told that they had the right to refuse to work on Sundays and couldn't be retaliated against. We were also told that the issue isn't Black and White that the company may have other reasons to cut hours. After hearing that kind of comment from labour Standards I have to ask you the minister responsible for labour standards, Do you think we are stupid??Do you think a company that wants to pressure their workers to work on Sundays are going to admit that they are cutting hours or punishing them for that reason? No wonder there aren't any complaints in this province. I can not get over a party that claims to be for families, to allow what's going on here.As for the comment that retail workers are unique because we can refuse to work on Sundays upsets me.Our legislature doesn't sit on Saturdays or Sundays either. How unique is that?Should letter carriers and government workers work on Sunday because church ministers do?We did not ask for Sunday shopping in this province. We voted "NO" in a binding plebiscite. All parties chose to ignore a democratic vote. All parties decided to blame the poor judge for allowing Sunday shopping. Fact is, Rodney MacDonald sold us all out with support of this so called "party", that claims to be for today's families.http://www.saveoursundays.ca/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=186We will continue pressuring this government to make changes to the Sunday shopping laws. It's disappointing to see that this party is no different than any other party in this province. The government acted illegally.No wonder people don't want to vote in provincial elections.The Sunday shopping vote should be respected. This government has the chance to do it.
Regards
Tony Lohnes

As you can see in August an email was sent to the minister who is supposed to be responsible for labour standards. It's now October and no response from her office. A party that claims to be for our families has a strange way of showing it. Let's face it, we are all wired different. Does the minister responsible expect everyone to work on Sundays because some chose to? What's so unique about us being human beings is that we can accept one another for the way we are and what we believe in. To make people feel low about them selves because they have a different view is wrong. As Nova Scotians, we have the chance to speak out and be heard. When election time comes around lets remind this minister responsible for labour standards that this isn't a balanced approach and that we aren't as stupid as she may think. Her party while in opposition, acted illegally by supporting Rodney MacDonald's government. Politicians love people who forget.

Tom's Youngs Afternoon show is one sided

I do not know how many of you tune into Tom Young's Afternoon news on 95.7FM. On my way to the city, a topic caught my attention and as usual I have always tuned into talk shows. Wednesday, Oct 13th was the day that Tom Young decided to have Holiday shopping as a topic.

I couldn't believe it, some of the callers were talking about Sunday shopping. Funny how the topic police disappeared when it was to the advantage of Tom Young.
He then invited all of us to send his comments or call in for today's show. This is the email I sent to Tom Young.
"Good afternoon to you Tom,
I could not help but email you since you were on the rampage again about business owners being able to open when they want to.
I have to ask you who runs this country? Business or government? What do we have a government for? To spend and waste our money Tom is that it?
I'll be happy to tell you what we have a government for. It's to make laws and to protect people who can not protect themselves. We have a minimum wage don't we Tom? Aren't we telling business owners what to do with their own money? ( that employee's made for them)
According to your logic we shouldn't let the government dictate as to when a business can close but we can tell them how to spend their money. Funny how you want stores open on Holidays also Tom. Bets are you aren't complaining about taking home holiday pay on those holidays that we do not have a talk shows to listen to. Yet you expect retail workers to be there to serve Tom Young because he is off. Business' are also told by law to pay employee's vacation pay. Again government can tell a business owner how to spend their money but we can not tell them when to close because Tom Young doesn't like it.
Tom we have milk regulation & gas regulation in Nova Scotia. Should a business owner be allowed to charge what they want for milk or gas? Isn't the government telling the poor business owner what to do? It's no different than telling them when to close.
Tom, It's sad that the provincial government will protect small gas station owners with gas regulation, yet on the other hand opened the doors to wide open Sunday shopping that has hurt the local corner stores.
Tom why don't you come clean and be fair on tomorrow's afternoon show on 95.7FM. Give out our web site and let people make that decision whether or not to support Sunday shopping. Do you remember Mark Parent?? Mark has come clean on Sunday shopping and has admitted that the courts did not strike down Sunday shopping.
Don't you think the listeners should know the truth that we had a binding plebiscite and that the courts did not strike down Sunday shopping? The Nova Scotia government acted illegally with the support of the opposition parties. A democratic vote was ignored and pushed into the closet. A politician's best friend is our poor memories , hoping that we will all forget the lies.
Tom lets say for example that you are Gay...does that mean everyone should be gay? Ministers work on Sundays, does that mean that letter carriers should work also? We are all different Tom. It shouldn't be your decision or anyone else's to make. Let the retail sector decide what's best for us.
You have also spoken about retail protection. The old workers should have the right to refuse to work on Sundays while you claim the new ones should have to work. Odd how choice isn't in Tom Young's vocabulary here is it? Yet you advocate the right for the owner to open when he wants. But no choice for new employees. Tom new employee's do have that choice in Nova Scotia. Old and new.
I will never approve of Sunday or Holiday shopping because I know retail workers are being forced to work on Sundays.
Management will use the guilt trip at the workers expense by reminding them that they have to work on Sundays and that they should take a turn also. Fear is also used against an employee that he or she may have their hours cut if they do not want to work on Sundays.
Even with the law, the only way is to ban shopping one day a week for this to work. I go in to detail here .
Until we get evening talk shows and Saturday and Sundays with yours truly Tom Young, you have nothing to talk about.


Tony Lohnes
Save Our Sundays
www.saveoursundays.ca


After listening to Tom Young yesterday I have come to this conclusion. He is only willing to let people hear his point of view. Several parts of my email were left out of what he actually read on the air. He then went on and stated this wasn't about Sunday shopping but Holiday shopping. When I tuned in his radio talk show on both accounts, Sunday shopping was being discussed. It was OK for those people who wanted Sunday shopping but for those against it, including myself most of my comments were ignored. He did not mention that Mark Parent has come clean on the issue. Surely an ex cabinet minister for the Rodney MacDonald government would be news? But hey we all know who runs these radio stations. I'll give you a hint " big business". Our web site wasn't mentioned...because the station wouldn't want to tick off those advertisers.
If the general public wants to look at an issue from all sides do it on line. Trust me in telling you that a lot of my comments were left out and not put on air over the years. Tom Young is real ignorant to the fact that he did not allow the public to view our site and form there own conclusions.
One of Tom Young's famous comments that the "owners should be allowed to open when they want to". We can tell them how to spend there own money but we can not tell them when to close. I'm not brainwashed on this issue like so many Canadians are on the issue. Let's face it, if you do not hear the other side, you don't hear the other view point. This is what Tom Young has set out to accomplish. I have to question who is the force behind Tom Young's point of view? Is it big business?
I also want to comment about those people who work shift work and pointed out that stores should be open also. Why? We are all different, we did not vote for Sunday shopping or Holiday shopping. We are all different. We are not all gay, we are not all French..we are all different in our own unique ways. People like Tom Young will never make me feel guilty for feeling that way. He won't even acknowledge his callers by there full name. Sad that these talk shows are all one sided.


Tony Lohnes
Save Our Sundays

Don't kid yourself...retail workers are pressured to work on Sundays

It's been awhile since I have written an article. Sometimes we just keep putting things off. After reading this article today Colville Walmart sued over Mormon assistant manager's Sunday work . It's about time that I get with the program and start writing.
In Nova Scotia, since Sunday shopping was shoved down our throats, I personally have heard from some workers about being forced to work on Sundays.


So many Nova Scotians thought with the protection and the right to refuse to work on Sundays everything would be OK. Some retail workers called the labor board to ask about their rights. I was one of them and this is what they told me. You can refuse to work on Sundays and they can not retaliate against you for refusing. She then went on to say that an employer may have other reasons for cutting hours.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a business would never admit openly to pressuring an employee to work on Sundays.
The only way to protect retail workers and managers is to out and out ban Sunday shopping. I just love those comments like " you can never go back". Since we live in a democracy a law can go either way. It's a stupid statement to make that we can not go back, because we can.
We all have our beliefs as to what's right and what's wrong. I'd personally be willing to support a binding plebiscite or a referendum that would close stores and all non essential services one day a week. Does it have to be on Sunday? No it doesn't . The problem here is that all religions can not seem to agree what the day of rest should be. Why not hold a democratic vote? Pick you're day ( Monday - Sunday).
Having said that we had a binding plebiscite in 2004 and our government acted illegally. I just cannot imagine why we are remaining silent about this? We were all made fools of. To have another vote of any kind and any other issue the government would be held accountable. Can you imagine if we broke a law? Sounds like a jail term or a high fine. But we sit back and allow our political parties to get away with it.
If a democratic vote means nothing and our families mean nothing, what's left?
While religions go back and forth on what day it should be, families in the meanwhile are suffering with guilt and fear. Guilt is used against an employee by using other co-workers and management against them. " I have to work on Sunday, what's wrong with you taking a turn?" Fear is also used on employees. Some employers may threaten to cut employee's hours for refusing to work on Sundays. No wonder retail workers have a complex. No one is there to stick up for them. No one is there to defend them.
Comparing retail workers to other occupations working on Sundays is a farce. We do not expect letter carriers to work on Sundays like ministers do? At the end of the day our families need time to spend together no matter what day it is. Let's have that one common day to spend together. We set aside Christmas Day, Labour Day, Canada day etc, so why not one day for our families?
And yes I will admit I'd vote for Sunday to be that day as it was always that day that Nova Scotians once valued and loved.