PSAC works with Member companies on labour issues and iniatives mainly through the PSAC Human Resources Committee. Below are some of the areas in which efforts are being expended on behalf of Members and the industry.

Saskatchewan Employment Standards

PSAC and Member company representatives met with the Saskatchewan Minister of Labour and Executive Director of Employment Standards in late fall 2008 to discuss issues member companies have identified in working with Saskatchewan Employment Standards. Background information on the clauses under discussion is available here.

As a direct result of those meetings, the government granted a permit to a Member company to extend its working schedule to 15 days on/6 off for one year and a monthly averaging permit for 173 hours. Once companies can demonstrate the health and safety of the worker is not compromised by an extended work schedule, permits will likely be granted for longer periods of time. PSAC will continue its efforts to make changes to other clauses relating to hours of work and rest.

If you are experiencing issues related to Saskatchewan Employment Standards and can give specific details, contact PSAC at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To find out more information on applying for a Saskachewan Labour Standards permit or variance, visit this website.

You can find the permit application form here.

Essential Skills Training

One of the issues identified by PSAC's Board of Directors at the Strategic Plan review held last year was the need for more training in essential skills for the industry. Essential skills include those related to math, reading and document use, which are fundamental to increased productivity, safety and staff retention.

Bow Valley College in Calgary has received government funding to help interested employers develop essential skills tools, resources and approaches for recruitment, retention and employee assessment and training. A PSAC Member company is working with Bow Valley College to benchmark essential skills levels within the company and help determine training needs. It is hoped that this project will provide a framework for essential skills training that could be replicated by other PSAC Members.

Foreign Workers & Immigration

Sherritt Greene, an immigration law firm based in Calgary, was chosen by a task force of Member companies to provide Temporary Foreign Worker Application processing and other immigration-related services to PSAC Members to help them with their labour supply. Information on how to access their services and receive preferred Member pricing is available here.

Find more information related to foreign workers on this website.  

Employee Attraction & Retention

While the economic downturn has reduced the immediate urgency for attraction and retention of workers, PSAC continues to work with the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada on a number of initiatives to address labour challenges in the medium- and long-term. More details are available here.