Robyn Benson became National President of the Public Service Alliance of
Canada on May 4th, 2012. Benson has been the Regional Executive
Vice-President (REVP) for PSAC's Prairies region since 2000. As the REVP,
Benson has been responsible for a wide range of activities in her region
which covers Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Benson worked for 20 years
with the Winnipeg Taxation Centre of Revenue Canada (now the Canada Revenue
Agency) before her election in 2000. Her union involvement dates back to
the1980 strike by the Clerical and Regulatory (CR) bargaining unit when she
was a term employee.
Rail accidents increase after job cuts, de-regulation.
by Robyn Benson
Five people confirmed dead. Forty people missing, some of whom might have been literally vapourized. Shops, a crowded drinking spot, the library, the local archives — the downtown core was ripped away, erased.
It’s obviously too soon to say precisely what caused the horrific rail tragedy still unfolding in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. A defective brake? Negligence? Poorly designed oil shipment cars? Lax safety inspections and Transit Canada oversight? A combination of these and other factors? We’ll be able to speak with more confidence after the inevitable inquiry.
