180 replies to this topic

[Anti-Am]

Criticizing the government is banned if you work for Parks Canada. There's not much one can say to defend this. Even the reformers who complain about lack of free speech under the liberals can't agree with this.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/06/14/ns-parks-canada-letter-warning.html

Parks Canada employees across the country have received letters warning they're not allowed to criticize the agency or the federal government.

The directive comes as the agency cuts hundreds of jobs or curtails work hours.

"I am aware that during this time of significant transition, the concept of loyalty can have a very particular meaning. However, as employees of the public sector, our duty is to support the elected government," employees were told.

'Our duty is to support the elected government'— Letter to Parks Canada employees

Workers are not supposed to speak about the cuts, whether at meetings, forums or through social media. Only designated people are allowed to deal with journalists.

Anyone who has an issue is supposed to go through internal processes, like filing a grievance, or talk with a supervisor, human resources manager or the Parks Canada ombudsman.

A copy of the letter, obtained by CBC News, is signed by Chip Bird, field unit superintendent in Cape Breton.

But thousands of federal workers got a similar warning.

Eddie Kennedy, national executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the letter went out to 4,800 agency employees around Canada three weeks ago.

"If you're in a coffee shop and you're criticizing the Harper government and there's someone sitting beside you and they know you work for a government department, technically you're in violation of the code of ethics," he told CBC News on Thursday.

The letter says the "duty of loyalty" to Parks Canada is spelled out in that code of ethics.

"The duty of loyalty includes the duty to refrain from public criticism of the Government of Canada when speaking as an employee of the agency. Breaching the duty of loyalty may lead to disciplinary action," it states.

Kennedy said he's not aware of any employee being disciplined for speaking out.

Edited by Anti-Am, 14 June 2012 - 04:15 PM.

[Argus]

Criticizing the government is banned if you work for Parks Canada. There's not much one can say to defend this. Even the reformers who complain about lack of free speech under the liberals can't agree with this.

Uhm, wanna bet? You don't get to talk down your employer in public. Oh you can call them all kinds of names to your friends. God knows I regularly mock the idiots who run my agency. But you can't run them down while at work to visitors/clients/customers. Big shocker! You can't go on TV or radio, or on a site like this, and say "I'm Joe Smith. I work for Parks Canada at the Niagara Office, and let me tell you about what a lousy bunch of jerkoffs those managers are..."

You can't do that about ANY employer.

Edited by Argus, 14 June 2012 - 04:19 PM.

[Anti-Am]

Uhm, wanna bet? You don't get to talk down your employer in public. Oh you can call them all kinds of names to your friends. God knows I regularly mock the idiots who run my agency. But you can't run them down while at work to visitors/clients/customers. Big shocker!

You can run down your employer but employers have rules to follow still. I am not sure you can be legally fired because you said something bad about your boss.

Anyways, your employer cannot put a gag on his employees unless the information is about national security which this is not.

[Argus]

You can run down your employer but employers have rules to follow still. I am not sure you can be legally fired because you said something bad about your boss.

Anyways, your employer cannot put a gag on his employees unless the information is about national security which this is not.

Oh yes they can. I started working for CRA some time back, when the Liberals were in power, and I can tell you that one of the things you have to read and sign off on is the employee code of ethics. It includes parts about never speaking about the agency, and never speaking about anything related to the agency or the government as a representative of the agency. If I put my employer here and my real name and started running them down, and they found out about it, now or ten years ago, I'd be looking at a disciplinary hearing.

In the private sector, of course, if non-unionized, I'd be looking at a pink slip.

[Anti-Am]

Oh yes they can. I started working for CRA some time back, when the Liberals were in power, and I can tell you that one of the things you have to read and sign off on is the employee code of ethics. It includes parts about never speaking about the agency, and never speaking about anything related to the agency or the government as a representative of the agency. If I put my employer here and my real name and started running them down, and they found out about it, now or ten years ago, I'd be looking at a disciplinary hearing.

In the private sector, of course, if non-unionized, I'd be looking at a pink slip.

The liberals had it wrong then as the conservatives do now.

[Fletch 27]

Fucking right you can get fired!!! How oblivious are you?? Are you kidding me? Ooooooo... Your gonna go REAL far in your life... Real far...... I hope your parents are budgetting for you to live in their basement till you 65... Omg...

That has got to be the dumbest post this week! Ok, in the last hour...

You can run down your employer but employers have rules to follow still. I am not sure you can be legally fired because you said something bad about your boss.

Anyways, your employer cannot put a gag on his employees unless the information is about national security which this is not.

[Anti-Am]

Fucking right you can get fired!!! How oblivious are you?? Are you kidding me? Ooooooo... Your gonna go REAL far in your life... Real far...... I hope your parents are budgetting for you to live in their basement till you 65... Omg...

That has got to be the dumbest post this week! Ok, in the last hour...

If true, the place I've worked for the last 2 years would have fired all of the women and some of the men.

[Anti-Am]

These employees are not working for the Canadian Government they are working for the Canadian public.
They owe no allegiance to the government of Canada but to the people of this great nation.

[Signals.Cpl]

These employees are not working for the Canadian Government they are working for the Canadian public.
They owe no allegiance to the government of Canada but to the people of this great nation.

There are requirements for any job wether it be public of private sector, badmouthing your boss or your organization might make your leadership decide that you are not the kind of person they want to employ.

Parks Canada (French: Parcs Canada), also known as the Parks Canada Agency (French:Agence Parcs Canada), is an agency of the Government of Canada

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_Canada



They owe their allegiance to the Government of Canada.

[Anti-Am]

The thing is, the oil sands and pipeline might harm these national parks that the parks employers are supposed to protect and preserve. But they aren't allowed to speak out against the dangers of the pipelines because they are supposed to support the government and government only. Am I getting this right? If so, that is the worst thing a Canadian government will ever have made people do in my opinion.

[Battletoads]

I think parks staff should call the cons bluff. Should the cons try to fire them they'd have a good case for wrongful dismissal.

[Rick]

I think parks staff should call the cons bluff. Should the cons try to fire them they'd have a good case for wrongful dismissal.

This.

You notice how it's the loyal Harper flunkies who are the only ones defending this attack on free speech here

No criticizing 'Dear Leader' allowed.

[Signals.Cpl]

The thing is, the oil sands and pipeline might harm these national parks that the parks employers are supposed to protect and preserve. But they aren't allowed to speak out against the dangers of the pipelines because they are supposed to support the government and government only. Am I getting this right? If so, that is the worst thing a Canadian government will ever have made people do in my opinion.

If you are at work you are representing your organization, any comment you may or may not make could reflect badly on your organization therefore companies and government agencies have rules in place to make sure people who cross the boundary are removed. Every organization has methods for people to pass any issues up through their chain of command.


If you are speaking as mentioned above, in an anonymous forum or amongst friends you can let your opinions be known, but when you are at work and therefore represent your place of employment you have to follow the rules.There are ways for you to voice your opinion and then there are ways not to voice your opinion like everything else in life it comes down to the fact that there is a time and a place for everything.

[Anti-Am]

If you are at work you are representing your organization, any comment you may or may not make could reflect badly on your organization therefore companies and government agencies have rules in place to make sure people who cross the boundary are removed. Every organization has methods for people to pass any issues up through their chain of command.


If you are speaking as mentioned above, in an anonymous forum or amongst friends you can let your opinions be known, but when you are at work and therefore represent your place of employment you have to follow the rules.There are ways for you to voice your opinion and then there are ways not to voice your opinion like everything else in life it comes down to the fact that there is a time and a place for everything.

They work for Parks Canada, not for the oil companies. Just remember that buddy

Edited by Anti-Am, 14 June 2012 - 08:21 PM.

[Wilber]

It is no ones "duty" to support the elected government.