Cme media Clips August 2, 2010 – August 6, 2010 American protectionism hurting Canadian manufacturers

Manufacturing Automation

Published Friday August 6th, 2010

Nicole Visschedyk

Telegraph-Journal
"We are pleased to have met our target for reducing injury frequency, down from 3.4 accidents (per 100 workers) in 2008 to 3.24 in 2009," said Roberta Dugas, chairwoman of WorkSafe NB's board of directors in a statement to shareholders. This drop represents a 4.9 per cent decrease.

Costs of accident insurance and health and safety services dropped last year, said Douglas Stanley, president of the agency.

For the fourth consecutive year assessment rates for employers decreased from $2.05 in 2008 to $2.03 in 2009, he said.

Assessment rates are measured as a portion of every $100 employers pay out in salary.

"Financially we had a bad year last year because our investments did poorly," Stanley said.

But in 2009 the organization's funding position improved. To be 100 per cent funded means WorkSafe NB would have enough money to pay the full amount to all injured workers who are entitled, Stanley said.

"Returning to a full-funded liability and reducing assessment rates while at the same time increasing the amount set aside for annuity benefits for injured workers is clearly an achievement," Dugas said.

A large portion of the Crown corporation's mandate is to provide education about workplace injuries, Stanley said.

In the past the agency has organized focused safety seminars in high-risk sectors such as prefabricated building, logging and fish processing. The success of these seminars has reduced accident rates in those sectors and allowed the agency to redirect its seminars to other problem areas.

Last year nursing home injuries rose 11 per cent while supermarkets and restaurants, previously high injury workplaces, saw slight improvements.

Stanley said back injuries and muscle strains from lifting patients are a problem in nursing homes and the agency aims to tackle the issue over the next year.

In 2009 the organization conducted 8,548 workplace inspections and wrote 7,585 orders under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The number of workers who filed claims requiring medical expenses or time off work or both decreased slightly from 2008.

The time between the injury to when a worker receives their first claim cheque is a metric WorkSafe NB uses to measure success, Stanley said.

The claims time has decreased over the year, he said.

In 2009 more than 23,880 people filed claims and approximately half of those involved no cost nor an application for benefits.

The board is made up of committed members of labour and management teams, he said, and a solid relationship between the two groups is essential to creating a future culture of safety.

WorkSafe NB is an agency which provides no-fault accident and disability insurance and also acts as an enforcement agency.

Metro residents weigh in on power
Thursday August 5th, 2010
 
More than 30 members of the public attended Tory-held energy forum
BY ALLISON TOOGOOD
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

Riverview MLA Bruce Fitch was among the panel of Tories facilitating the forum, and he welcomed everyone last night at the Delta Beauséjour. Moncton Crescent MLA John Betts and Sue Stultz, Tory candidate for Moncton West, were sitting in with the public.

One major component that residents of Metro Moncton want to see in the Tory energy platform by September 27 is education.

Greg Daborn, president of the New Brunswick and P.E.I. chapter of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society, highlighted that the province's energy knowledge base is far from the standards in the rest of the world.

He says the Tories should pledge to promote higher education in energy in the province's post-secondary institutions.

"In my opinion, we need to provide better educational opportunities for all New Brunswickers," he says, "We need to raise the bar for young people and do some forward thinking."

Université de Moncton student Alison McKay finds it incredibly discouraging that New Brunswick students "can't" have the same educational opportunities as those studying at Harvard or Columbia, as brought up by a couple of other speakers.

"If our students were given the chance, they can keep up with today's innovations and today's technology."

She says there are two levels of education - what's taught in the classroom and what's offered in the community.

"What's not happening a lot of the times is the opportunities for the students to go out and do summer work terms with companies and to learn where things are at.

"If you don't see today's technologies, you fall behind and then you have to leave the province or even the country."

She says she knows first-hand what local students are capable of.

"They can do pretty incredible things if given the opportunity."

Exploration into other resources were among the proposed possibilities for the Tories.

"The 10 cents-a-kilowatt that the provincial government is giving out now is not sufficient."

"We have a big source of wind and we should take advantage of that."

Solar power was brought up by a few voices but wasn't elaborated upon.

David Plante, the vice president of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island divisions of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, says if elected, the Tories should keep up the reintegration of NB Power.

"It's a positive step," he says, "We need a longer-term vision for our public utility."
He also says what NB Power's missing is workable energy purchase agreements.

"The government needs a utility mandate to find the cheapest source of power. We're better off, in the long term, to do it."

Tom MacKenzie of Albert County suggested that the Tories should aim to get votes from the younger generation with certain incentives.

"People aged 18 to 35 are looking into buying homes, old and newly constructed, so there should be some types of power incentives."

The final energy forum will be held tonight in Edmundston.

After tonight's forum, the collected information and feedback will be rolled into a comprehensive report for the Tories by UdeM economics professor Pierre-Marcel Desjardins and Saint John lawyer Darrell Stephenson.

Atlantic Canadians meet with Minister Day on Canada's economic recovery

Media Caster Magazine

"Resource-based industries continue to be the lifeblood of Atlantic Canada and it is important to hear from those who are close to the issues," said Minister Day. "Our Economic Action Plan has put Canada back on the right course, but the recovery is still fragile and our government wants to ensure that growth and prosperity continue in all parts of the country."

As part of the government's commitment to fiscal restraint, Minister Day has been holding roundtables to consult with key Canadians on economic issues. These meetings will help further the government's action to develop a roadmap to a balanced budget in 2014.

"I have had great discussions at these meetings and the input and advice that I received today in Halifax will help us as we take steps to maintain Canada's strong economic position," added Minister Day.

Later today, Minister Day will speak at a luncheon hosted by the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce. His speech will expand on the topic of Canada's return to a balanced budget and long-term economic success.

Backgrounder Halifax Roundtable Participants