Environment Canada cuts 700 jobs

[grammafreddy]

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photo ... 51-620.jpg

Environment Canada job cuts raise concerns
By Meagan Fitzpatrick, CBC News
Posted: Aug 4, 2011 12:49 PM ET
Last Updated: Aug 4, 2011 12:49 PM ET


Meteorologists, chemists and other scientists are among 700 Environment Canada employees who are facing job cuts in the coming months. Weather and other services could be affected as a result of the cuts, one of the unions representing the workers warns. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

The axe is falling at Environment Canada, and around 700 positions are on the chopping block.

Union representatives were advised about the coming cuts in writing Monday and given details about the federal government's plans to eliminate the positions during a meeting Wednesday in Ottawa.

Meteorologists, chemists, biologists and other scientists are among those who will be receiving letters from the department notifying them that they will either lose their job or be placed on a list of employees deemed "surplus."

After a 90-day period, the roughly 300-person "surplus" list will be formalized, and those workers will be offered positions elsewhere within the government.

Gary Corbett, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, which represents 57,000 scientists and professionals in the federal and some provincial governments, said Thursday there is shock and sadness among his union's members — more than 200 of them — who will be affected by the cuts.

"You can imagine the turmoil with the people in their own personal lives, but also in the department because this affects the whole department, all employees, because they wonder if they're going to be next," Corbett said.

It isn't known yet what programs and services from Environment Canada will shrink, Corbett said, but he warned that the job cuts will not only affect the employees, but Canadians.

"When you start to erode the professionals doing this work, down the road it will certainly hurt Canadians,... maybe their water quality, maybe their air quality," Corbett said.

The cuts announced this week are not part of the strategic review that Ottawa is undertaking in order to balance its budget by 2014. Where exactly the government is going to find those savings within every department has yet to be announced.

Corbett said the union was told the positions were being eliminated because of "fiscal restraint" measures.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May issued a statement that expressed concern about the cuts and how they might affect Environment Canada's core activities.

"We are worried that cuts are also impacting other departments. The total impact of this round of layoffs should include parliamentary oversight," May said.

She noted that Environment Canada's website says its expertise strengthens its ability to deal with complex and changing environmental issues.

"The Green Party asks how this latest round of job cuts will affect this ability," the statement said.

[Bagotricks]

This is how you give tax breaks to millionaires, by cutting jobs like these.

When the environment is your last priority, is this really a surprising move from a government that comes from Alberta?

Instead of ignoring data, its much more effective to limit the data being collected!

[CJT84]

We don't know what jobs specifically were cut so we can't say anything about whether or not this was good or bad.

How can you even tell they're needed, what metrics do you go on?

[Bagotricks]

We don't know what jobs specifically were cut so we can't say anything about whether or not this was good or bad.

How can you even tell they're needed, what metrics do you go on?

Did you read the article? You really think there are 700 employees at EC that are assistant-assistants and gophers?

Do you know anyone that worked in a government job in the last 10 years? Lay off 5 people, get 1 or two people to absorb their workloads, while doing their original job. The public suffers - but who cares as long as not to many people die or the media doesn't grab hold of stories about people falling through the cracks. This is commonplace and can be expected here as well.

There is a posting on the forums somewhere on how Environment Canada observation stations have been drastically cut in the last few years. EC is already operating on a skeleton crew. The environment is not a priority to the Conservatives, as demonstrated.

[Glacier]

The previous environment Canada cuts were implemented by the Liberal government...

[Bagotricks]

The previous environment Canada cuts were implemented by the Liberal government...

They had a balanced budget, didn't they?

Hold your breath till 2014!

[albertabound]

Bagotricks, there are only a few mps from alberta.

[CJT84]

We don't know what jobs specifically were cut so we can't say anything about whether or not this was good or bad.

How can you even tell they're needed, what metrics do you go on?

Did you read the article? You really think there are 700 employees at EC that are assistant-assistants and gophers?

Do you know anyone that worked in a government job in the last 10 years? Lay off 5 people, get 1 or two people to absorb their workloads, while doing their original job. The public suffers - but who cares as long as not to many people die or the media doesn't grab hold of stories about people falling through the cracks. This is commonplace and can be expected here as well.

There is a posting on the forums somewhere on how Environment Canada observation stations have been drastically cut in the last few years. EC is already operating on a skeleton crew. The environment is not a priority to the Conservatives, as demonstrated.

So exactly what metrics do you use to show how useful they are?

Even if there re scientists being cut, etc. you have no way of telling me how useful the job they were doing was because you have no idea of the specifics.

How does the public suffer? Exactly what were these people doing that they can't lose their jobs? You make them sound like a gestalt of Atlas with the environment on his shoulders and that if they are cut the environment will explode or something just as ludicrous.

Show me some more specifics or stop scaremongering jeez.

[grammafreddy]

http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=BD3CE17D-1

This link ^^ gives the mandate and more info about EC.

Personally, I'm kinda hoping the Government of Canada has had enough of the Global Warming/Cooling/Climate Change fear mongering and is eliminating the jobs associated with maintaining the farce.

[Captain Awesome]

After a 90-day period, the roughly 300-person "surplus" list will be formalized, and those workers will be offered positions elsewhere within the government.

This is a weird way of saving money.

We'll lay them off here, but give them jobs over there.

Pointless.

[grammafreddy]

A comment from someone on the link:

mememine69
said

We must believe.
We must trust the carbon trading markets and corporations and politicians to manage the temperature of the planet.
We must call it consensus even though all of the thousands of consensus scientists all have their own special, personal and unique views of CO2 climate crisis.
We must trust the good and trustworthy politicians who promise to lower the seas and make the weather colder by taxing the air.
We must continue to believe in climate change crisis despite Obama not even mentioning the crisis in his state of the union address.
We must believe in climate change even though the number of consensus scientists vastly outnumbers the marching climate change protesters.
We must believe in climate change h e l l and spread our love for the planet as we condemn billions to a CO2 death just to make sure the kids turn the lights out more often and vote progressive when they reach voting age.
We must believe even though the thousands of consensus scientists refuse to march in the streets themselves. Don't they have families to save too?
Believe. Believe. Believe so we can defeat the evil bible thumping necons and those ignorant of the ways of THE SCIENCE! Praise be to the SCIENCE.
ALGORE is my shepherd; I shall not think.
He maketh me lie down in Greenzi pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still-freezing waters.
He selleth my soul for CO2:
He leadeth me in the paths of self-righteousness for his own sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of reason,
I will fear no logic: for thou art with me and thinking for me;
Thy Gore’s family oil fortune and thy 10,000 square Gorey foot mansion, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a movie in the presence of contradictory evidence:
Thou anointest mine head with nonsense; my fear runneth over.
Surely blind faith and hysteria shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of ALGORE forever.