Media Release: Strike Notice Served: LutherCare Communities Group Homes
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2024
Click here to download a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 7
Regina – September 8, 2017
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee was back at the table with SAHO on September 5, 6 and 7 after having a great four weeks of meeting with members, talking about the current state of bargaining and listening to your feedback. We appreciate you sharing your concerns and assessment of how this incredibly lopsided and unfair collective bargaining proposal package, presented by SAHO (Government of Saskatchewan), would affect you in your community, your ability to raise a family, and your ability to provide quality care.
We return for another marathon session from September 14-24 in Saskatoon.
This week was spent reviewing the coalition package that applies to all three unions as well as our individual SEIU-West proposals. We have withdrawn some proposals and reverted to current language. Again, our purpose is to focus our efforts on the ‘must haves’ that our members have identified. SAHO has asked a number of questions about our initiative to create a formal bargaining association with the three health care provider unions and we are preparing our response.
We did some incredibly difficult and productive work to scale back some of our proposals. All three unions’ bargaining committees worked together to have frank conversations about what our members want in this round of bargaining. We pushed through distractions to create a timely and comprehensive response to SAHO. We are proud of this coalition work.
In our bargaining roadshow over the last four weeks, we had one ask of each person at the meetings and it is the same ask we have put to you since bargaining update #3…we ask that each member raise their voice to be counted at the bargaining table. We ask that each member commit to either meeting with, emailing, or calling your elected MLA to share your anxiety, frustration and disbelief at what SAHO is proposing at our bargaining table. We KNOW this process works and that we can add the needed pressure to get this ridiculous mandate changed. Find your MLA by visiting: http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/. Lost for words? Here is a letter template for your use.
As well, Letters to the Editor or even having conversations with SEIU-West staff about how the Government’s mandate will affect you, your family, your community and health care will help get the message out that this mandate will negatively affect EVERYONE.
Make no mistake, this round of provincial health care bargaining is clearly being directed by the Sask Party government. We truly do not care who you voted for in the last election… but each one of us needs to commit to making that connection with our MLA – Sask Party or NDP – and ensuring they understand that asking public sector health care workers to bear the brunt of the rollbacks, concessions, and cuts is not fair. The private sector isn’t going after people who work at the CanAlta hotel, the local Co-op gas station, or the restaurant or Tim Horton’s.
Our provincial government is most definitely demanding rollbacks from front line health care workers and we heard with clarity from each member – not just ‘No!’, but “Hell NO!” Your SEIU-West bargaining committee has a simple message that we have shared with our members:
- No cuts
- No rollbacks
- Pay us what we are worth
- Treat us with respect
We will be having virtual town hall meetings on September 27 at 7pm and September 28 at 2pm. Make sure we have the phone number you want to be reached at for this phone call by filling out our online sign up form or filling out a ProCAT Text business card before September 21st. Posters will be going out soon so watch the website and Facebook for updates.
We encourage you to share your questions and concerns about bargaining with your SEIU-West bargaining committee by contacting us through the Member Resource Center (MRC) at 1-888-999-7348 Ext 2298 or contact us through SEIUWEST.ca.
Thanks for a great summer of activism and support…keep this up and we WILL win!
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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