Mr. Speaker, I have Return to Written Question 14-12(3) asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board concerning details surrounding the WCB funding for the federation of labour survey of trade unionists.
1. The Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board requested that a committee be established to review and report on the workers' advisor function. The committee consisted of Ron Williams, the then deputy chairman of WCB and Jim Evoy, director of WCB, who were the members of the original hiring committee for the workers' advisor position. The committee report was completed on March 30, 1992 and provided to the Minister. A recommendation of the report was that a grant of $15,000 be given to organized labour to develop an NWT workers' education program on WCB matters, this program to be comparable to that of the Ontario WCB and the Ontario Federation of Labours' nationally recognized initiative.
On July 13, 1992 a letter was written to the Minister outlining the rationale for the $15,000 grant, and subsequently on July 17, 1992 the Minister advised that he agreed with the grant.
The board, by motion at its August 1992 meeting, authorized payment of the grant and a cheque for $15,000 was issued to the NWT Federation of Labour. Mr. Evoy removed himself from the boardroom and did not participate in the discussion or in the decision.
2. No such instruments exist. The WCB has not made grants of this nature in the past. The need to develop such policies and directives is recognized and will be addressed.
3. No such instruments exist.
4. A copy of a letter to the NWT Federation of Labour dated August 24, 1992, to which there has been no written response, is the only correspondence between the two parties.
5. The only contact person involved at the NWT Federation of Labour appears to be the president, Mr. Jim Evoy. There is no correspondence with the Minister.