RSS

In Prince Edward Island, workers are unhappy at how the local government is managing their pension benefits.

In a report by CBC News, Premier Robert Ghiz and Finance Minister Wes Sheridan announced reforms to the province's pension plan. 

The move was done to make sure it will remain financially sustainable. 

One of the reforms made include that workers would have to work until they reach 62 years old in order to get full pension benefits. 

This has prompted civil servants to decide if they should change their retirement plans.

Debbie Bovyer leads the Union of Public Sector Employees, one of the five worker's unions affected. 

After 16 months of talks, Bovyer says that she's disappointed that the government went on its own without any negotiation. 

The new set of rules will be implemented next year. 

The discussion over the proposed Charter of Values moves into fine print. 

According to CBC News, Tuesday's local papers were filled with open letters that both support and oppose it. 

In an open letter published by the Gazette, a group of academics and health professionals from McGill say the Charter may cause harm on people's mental health and well-being. 

They also see religious neutrality as a veil for religious and cultural discrimination.

McGilll's Laurence J. Kirmayer spoke to the CBC. He says an accurate representation of cultural communities is needed in the health care system.

On the flip side, francophone author Janette Betrand — with a group of supporters calling themselves "The Janettes," also signed an open letter in Le Journal expressing support.

The letter says that religious neutrality is important for the empowerment of women in a predominantly male society, and that men historically used religion to control women.

LGBT advocate Michelle Blanc also signed the letter. 

In an interview with CBC News, she says minorities tend to be very homophobic because most religions are not in favor of homosexuality.

Hosted by Danny Aubry 

Stories by Alexa Everett, John Toohey and Rory Warnock

Prouduced by Saturn De Los Angeles

The baby that made national headlines last year for being born in a jail cell is now dead.

At 26, Julia Bilotta gave birth to her child on Sept. 29, 2012 at the Ottawa- Carleton Detention Center. She was eight months pregnant when she was first jailed Sept. 24 of that year.

Her child, Gionni Lee, was born a month early and suffered from breathing difficulties.  Bilotta’s lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon explains, "He had had respiratory problems since he was born and that apparently was the cause of his passing ... yesterday in hospital.”

Both Bilotta and her mother, Kim Hurtubise are traumatized. Bilotta wrote on her Facebook page that her child was “sick all night” and was taken to the hospital. Bilotta then announced her infant’s death writing, “"How could this happen to us? Life will never be the same! We love you, Gionni. Mommy will be with you soon."

When jailed, Bilotta was facing charges of:

• Use, trafficking or possession of a forged document.
•  Fraud.
• Accessory after the fact to the commission of offences.
• Failure to comply with bail conditions.

Gionni Lee was said to have stopped breathing in the night. The police added that an autopsy will be conducted sometime this week.