Media Release: Strike Notice Served: LutherCare Communities Group Homes
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2024
Click here for a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update – No. 10
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee and our coalition partners, CUPE and SGEU, met with SAHO for five days in Saskatoon (November 23 – 27).
We continued to advance the message that members have shared with us:
NO Cuts, NO Rollbacks, Pay Us What We’re Worth! Treat US With Respect!
We believe the communications that members have sent to government MLAs, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance reinforce the message we are delivering to SAHO.
However, there is a large stumbling block when it comes to joint trusteeship of the EHB (Extended Health & Enhanced Dental Benefits) plan. SAHO wants the health services provider unions to agree to let the Employers stop paying the premiums into the plan for a period of time but they are unwilling to commit to the unions becoming joint trustees of the plan, like for our pension plan. We are not agreeable to put the EHB plan at risk.
Another significant stumbling block was the Employers’ monetary offer over the proposed length of the term of the Collective Agreement. There are other issues that remain unresolved as well.
At the end of this session, the parties agreed we were not going to reach agreement on all the issues at this time. The parties had agreed previously that if our without prejudice talks were unsuccessful each union would return to their individual bargaining table to resume formal bargaining. Your SEIU-West bargaining committee will be setting future bargaining dates for our individual table with SAHO. SAHO indicated that the government mandate of a cut of 3.5% to compensation remains on the table.
While we would like to thank all of our members who have shared our message with their employers, SAHO and the government – redouble your efforts. We need your voices to reinforce that cuts and rollbacks are not acceptable. Help us to eliminate the cuts and concessions that the government has put on our shoulders; call your MLA, send an email, ask for a meeting. Ensure that your emails are copied to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance. Tell them they need to change their mandate. Tell them we cannot provide patient first health care services if the Government and SAHO continue to put us last!
If you would like assistance writing a letter to the editor or to your MLA, please email us at [email protected]
We encourage you to contact the MRC at 1-888-999-7348 ext. 2298 to ask any further questions. Please watch for updates on our website. You can also follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds.
In Solidarity,
Your SEIU-West SAHO Provincial Bargaining Committee:
CHR: Janice Platzke (SEIU-West Treasurer) • FHHR: Brenda Berry; Donna Gallant • HHR: Colleen Denniss • SHR: Judy Denniss; Rick Brown; Simone Corriveau; Kim Wyatt; Charlene Sarafin; • Staff: Bob Laurie (Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement); Russell Doell (Deputy Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement); Cam McConnell (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape
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