Resources

It’s important to be a Member in Good Standing.

Being a union member comes with certain rights and responsibilities.

One of your obligations is to remain a member in good standing (dues paying member) according to the SEIU-West constitution.

Members sometimes go off work on an unpaid (by employer) leave as listed below:

Disability Income Plan (DIP), Workers’ Compensation Benefits claim beyond one year, Leaves (education, maternity, parental, adoption, compassionate care, public office, or election to a professional association), or a General Leave of Absence.

And because your employer is not making any dues deductions or remittances to your union on your behalf, to remain a member in good standing you are required to pay your minimum monthly dues of $10.

You can pay by cash or cheque at any SEIU-West office. If you contact SEIU-West we will provide the amounts you owe if you are behind on your dues or you can pay for several months ahead of time if this is a better option for you. You will receive a tax receipt to use on your income tax.

Why remain a member in good standing?

Here are just some of the many reasons to remain a member in good standing

• Eligibility for SEIU-West Annual Scholarships for you and/or your children.
• Ability to run for an elected position for your SEIU-West Unit, Executive Board, Trustee, Top Officer position, or to serve on any committees.
• Ability to attend Union events, schools, training, conferences and conventions.
• Ability to vote on your tentative agreement when negotiations are completed.

Don’t miss out – Remain a member in good standing at all times!

Do you know an SEIU-West member who has retired within the last year or will be retiring soon?

If so, please let your Unit Chair know so they can request a Retirement gift from their nearest SEIU-West Office.

Criteria for receiving a retirement gift:

• the Retiree must be a member in good standing for five (5) years.
• the request must come from your Unit Officer, Staff Representative, or Internal Organizer in writing within 1 year from the date that the member retires.

Contact your Unit Officer, Staff Representative or Internal Organizer so they can request the Retirement gift.

SEIU-West is currently offering the following as retirement gifts:

Carry on luggage

Unisex watch

Hillberg & Berk Sparkle Ball 8 mm Earrings

Did you know it is a provincial requirement in Saskatchewan for every work site to have an Occupational Health Committee (OHC)? The OHC is the process for the Employer and Employees to work together to resolve health and safety concerns.

Workload is an Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) issue: At SEIU-West, we know our members face unsafe staffing levels regularly. And we know these insufficient staffing levels contribute to unsafe environments for both staff and those requiring care. That’s why your SEIU-West bargaining team has prioritized workload issues and we are hopeful these efforts will lead to better processes for addressing our heavy workloads.

In the meantime, we are hopeful we can strengthen our OHC’s and ensure every member knows their rights. In order to do so, we need your help:

• First, read this OHC Fact Sheet – it contains a lot of important information, including your OH&S rights, the role of the OHC, and provincial requirements around OHC
• Second, post the OHC Fact Sheet to your union bulletin board
• Finally, send an email if you currently sit on your Unit’s OHC to [email protected] - we will follow-up with further information! 

Click here to use the online scholarship application form!