Posted on October 31, 2011 by christinemiller
As we draw closer to the election on November 7, SEIU-West is in the midst of our own political action campaign within our membership. The reason we are doing this is because of YOU.
After the last round of provincial bargaining in the healthcare sector, our members, across all sectors were outraged at what happened. It was more than the unfairness, or the disrespect, but it was the arrogance and heavy-handed way that the Government of Saskatchewan had chosen to conduct business with citizens in this province.
What you will have noticed is that SEIU-West is doing things a little differently this time around. We began with a phone poll out to some of our members to gauge what they were thinking as we launched our campaign (www.yourfairshare.ca). These calls were made to remind members of the impossible situation we all faced during our last round of provincial health care bargaining. We urged members to vote and invited them to visit our website. They also had an option to identify who their preferred party would be on election day. I appreciate all of your responses including those who chose to say “I’m not telling you that”, thank you all for your participation. This information has helped us in our continuing conversation with you, the members.
SEIU-West has put up billboards through out the province highlighting issues that affect all of us, regardless of which sector we work in. We’re running radio ads to crystalize the unfairness and imbalance in our relationship with our government. Our website is called “Your Fair Share” (www.yourfairshare.ca) and it’s not just about SEIU-West members and what our issues are, but issues that affect us, our families and our communities. You will have also received a mailout with general information about the union as well as information to consider in the upcoming election.
Over the past year, we have trained over 90 Member Political Organizers (MPO) to go out and talk about the issues, one on one, with their co-workers. And since the election has been called, some of these MPO’s have been on union leave working on SEIU-West’s campaign.
The focus of this campaign has been to provide our members with the information and the tools to educate themselves and make an informed decision about who to vote for in this election. We are not telling you who to vote for; you are an adult and can make up your own mind. Some members have called this “political propaganda”; but our work, our lives and our communities are impacted by political decisions that are made by our government every single day – shouldn’t we be actively involved in those decisions? I say “Yes!”.
Election Day is November 7 – it is your right and your privilege to vote. Please go out and do it.
In Solidarity,
Barbara Cape
President, SEIU-West
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Posted on October 31, 2011 by christinemiller
Welcome to the SEIU-West website!
This is one of the best tools to keep up with the news and campaigns that our membership is involved with.
With 12,000 members across Saskatchewan – in such diverse sectors as healthcare, education, community-based organizations, retirement homes, light industrial/allied and municipalities, our solidarity continues to grow in order to support workers’ issues.
Whether you are an Educational Assistant in Estevan, Saskatchewan or a worker in the town of Leader or a Cardio-Vascular Tech in Saskatoon – each of us has an undeniable connection to each other. It’s not about how much money we earn or the education we hold, it’s about making sure that no matter what your issue is, there is someone on your side who will stand up and make sure your voice is heard. And that’s what SEIU-West is about. (more…)
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