Sask. tree farm CEO charged with offences against foreign workers
CBC
The CEO of a Weyburn-area tree farm is facing charges against two foreign workers that allegedly involve falsifying payroll records, misrepresenting employment duties and taking unfair advantage of the workers.
Rodney Sidloski, the CEO of HELP International Shelterbelt Centre, has denied the allegations.
The centre is a non-profit facility that provides research and strategies on tree planting, including providing affordable seeds and sharing strategies for extended tree life.
Sidloski is charged with three offences that date from between May 2022 and August 2024 against one foreign worker, and another set of three offences from between June 2022 and June 2024 against a second worker, the province said Monday in a news release.
The charges are under The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act and the legislation that replaced that act in 2024, The Immigration Services Act.
Sidloski said in an interview that the allegations are "absolutely false and the evidence will prove it."
He's charged with misrepresenting employment opportunities such as positions, length of employment, wages and benefits for one of the workers.
Regarding both of the workers, he's charged with producing false information, including by producing false payroll records, and with "taking unfair advantage of a foreign nationals' trust by exploiting their fear or lack of experience or knowledge."
Sidloski said the company prides itself on supporting cultural diversity and has always put workers and their families first.
He is scheduled to appear in Weyburn provincial court on Tuesday.
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