Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 09, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A4 A4 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014 NEWS HALIFAX - Treasury Board Minister Tony Clement says changes he has in mind for public servants' sick- leave policy would tackle shortcomings with the outdated current setup, such as addressing long- term health issues such as mental illness. Clement said he's proposing a format that would include five to seven sick days a year, a short- term disability leave of a week to six months and long- term leave for more than six months. The changes would also eliminate bankable sick days, he said. Speaking at a provincial Progressive Conservative conference in Nova Scotia, Clement said the proposed changes are fair and would do more to address things like mental illness than the current system does. "( The) 40- year- old sick leave system we have now really does not appropriately highlight some of the other factors that are now acknowledged, like mental- health issues. whereas 40 years ago they might have been stigmatized," said Clement in an interview, adding mental illness currently accounts for nearly half of all sick leave. Clement said the average public servant retires with 111 banked sick days. But some younger or new public employees do not have enough accumulated sick days to deal with a catastrophic illness, he said. " We have employees who run out of their sick days and then have to go on ( employment insurance) to help pay the bills," Clement told the crowd of Tories at a Halifax hotel. " I don't think that's a good system for them, in fact, I think it's an immoral system." The changes will be discussed over the next year as part of negotiations with 17 public sector unions, said Clement. One of those unions, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, accused Clement of having plans to contract out sick- leave policy. " When the minister refers to a short- term disability plan, he means contracting out the management of the sick- leave system to a third- party administrator; where caseloads are managed for profit, pushing employees back to work as quickly as possible," said PSAC president Robyn Benson in an email Saturday. Earlier this week, the parliamentary budget office said public servants take an average of 11.5 paid sick days a year, compared with 18 days reported by Clement. The report said Clement's number includes time missed due to workplace injuries and unpaid sick leave. It estimated the salary paid for sick days amounted to $ 871 million in 2011- 12, about 68 per cent higher than the estimate 10 years prior, which includes inflation. The report said growth in the size of the public service, wages and number of paid sick days available all contributed to the doubling of sick- leave costs in the last decade and the use of sick leave between departments varies significantly. The governing Conservatives, who are tabling a budget next week, say they are taking aim at the public service in their efforts to balance the books in 2015. - The Canadian Press By Aly Thomson T ORONTO - A media report claiming a Vancouver- area pub served drinks to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford after closing hours has perked up the ears of the mayor of the local municipality. Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said allegations in a story by the Toronto Star drinks were served to his Toronto counterpart after the 2 a. m. cutoff set by his city could be taken up by local police and provincial liquor authorities, who he says ensure the last- call rule is followed. " I imagine both those groups would be interested in knowing more about this allegation," he said Saturday. The Star quotes an unidentified witness as saying Ford went into a tiny staff washroom at the Foggy Dew pub in Coquitlam last weekend only to emerge more than an hour later " talking gibberish" and appearing impaired. The witness told the newspaper it took some time before Ford was able to speak to restaurant staff coherently and says he then ordered rounds of beers, rum- and- cokes and shots with three people after the pub was closed and patrons cleared out. While Stewart said he couldn't comment on the matter further, he added he'd be surprised if a local bar or pub poured drinks after hours because he hasn't heard of it happening in the municipality. The Star said it was unable to independently verify the source's allegations that Ford consumed alcohol at the Foggy Dew. Foggy Dew owner John Teti declined to answer questions about what happened at the pub that night. " I have no comment about even if Mr. Ford was on the premises. I wouldn't know the man if he fell on me," Teti said in an interview with The Canadian Press. Teti said he also could not discuss the Star report due to concerns the pub may be investigated by liquor authorities. " That's why I have no comment. It's like a judicial review, I have no comment." A spokesman for B. C.' s Justice Ministry, which oversees the liquor control branch, said Saturday the report was being looked into. Ford - who had vowed last year he had given up alcohol - admitted he was drinking in an incident caught on video last month at a Toronto restaurant called Steak Queen and called it a " minor setback." The clip posted anonymously to YouTube shows Ford using Jamaican swear words and other profanities, at one point aiming his curses at Toronto's police chief. The Star said it asked Ford this week about his behaviour at the Foggy Dew, after it was closed for the evening, but said the mayor did not respond to the questions. Ford's spokesman has not responded to emails sent on Saturday requesting comment on the Star report. The Star said the alleged incident took place in the wee hours of Feb. 1, between midnight and 3 a. m. - hours after Ford was ticketed by the RCMP for jaywalking. The newspaper report says Ford went into a single- toilet bathroom used by male staff and did not emerge for more than an hour. When Ford emerged shortly after 2 a. m., he was " talking gibberish in what sounded like another language," scratching his chest and the back of his neck and making " weird twitch- like movements non- stop with his hands," the Star quotes the eyewitness as saying. The newspaper said the source did not want to be identified fearing there could be consequences for speaking out. A few hours before the alleged incident at the Foggy Dew, Ford received the jaywalking ticket but has said he believes police singled him out for the offence. - The Canadian Press By Will Campbell Ford on late- night bender: report '( He was) talking gibberish in what sounded like another language' After- hours booze- up in B. C. bar alleged Feds plan changes to sick- leave for civil servants The Scotties might be taking centre stage, but The Forks is hosting the 13th annual Ironman Outdoor Curling Bonspiel, where Mitchell Braun did some sweeping Saturday night. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ironmen of curling Tony Clement CATRIONA KORUCU / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Toronto Mayor Rob Ford poses for photos at the Foggy Dew pub on Feb. 1 A_ 04_ Feb- 09- 14_ FP_ 01. indd A4 2/ 8/ 14 10: 13: 30 PM ;