The Vice President of CUPE Local 1949 says they were given a couple of reasons as to why the equivalent of 9 positions were eliminated in Saskatoon and are being contracted out to private legal firms. One being the remand rate, which is the number of prisoners awaiting trial. The employer says in Saskatoon the remand rate is higher than in Regina. But Deb Hopkins says their numbers show the remand rate is at least as low as Regina. The other reason given, she says, is that the employer needs more flexibility in terms of having people to deploy. But the union believes it has done that through innovations which lead to early resolutions, and working weekends. CUPE says three lawyers and their support staff are being laid off at the Saskatoon legal Aid office and the Duty Counsel work in Saskatoon will be contracted out.