Saskatchewan – Late last week, amid facility closures and service disruptions across the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the SHA quietly released a troubling measure to respond to “staff shortages”.
Do you want to be more involved in the governance of your Union? Do you have a unique voice to lend to the Executive Board? Here's your chance!
It is time for the 2022 SEIU-West SAHO/ECI Bargaining Survey!
This survey is for SEIU-West members who work at (or are on leave from) a Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) or SHA-affiliated workplace or program, including Extendicare.
On June 7, SEIU-West held a virtual townhall to talk with SHA members about the Letter of Understanding (LOU) that changes our hours-based seniority system to a seniority date system. The difference is that all hours-based seniority will begin to be transferred to a seniority date.
Elmview, Moose Jaw, Parkside, Preston, and Sunset Extendicare Facilities
PLEASE NOTE:
New pay rates are effective April 17, 2022.
Dear Members of SEIU-West:
In an effort to keep you all up-to-date on the recent cyber-attack affecting SEIU-West that we first reported to you on March 11, 2022 and updated you on March 15, 2022, we want to provide a further update on where we’re at with this situation.
This year, the annual Convention of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) will be held in Regina on October 26-28, 2022.
This year's Convention includes elections for several leadership positions. The SFL Convention is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in Saskatchewan’s labour movement, and advocate for better social, economic and environmental policies.
As in past years, the SEIU-West Executive Board has agreed to sponsor up to 30 SEIU-West members to attend the Convention as delegates. This includes the registration fee, lost wages or honoraria, and any associated costs in accordance to our policies.
If you are interested in attending, please fill out this Expression of Interest form, no later than August 26, 2022. We will notify those who are selected to attend.
The SFL represents over 100,000 hard working union members in Saskatchewan, from 37 national and international unions. Its goal is to improve working people’s lives throughout the province, whether organized or unorganized, and regardless of affiliation to the SFL.
An article published in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on July 25 titled “Saskatchewan will pay private clinics to help close surgery gap,” explains the Saskatchewan Party government wants a privately run orthopedic surgery clinic to be built in the province in an effort to clear a record backlog of postponed procedures.
The article states: “The province will issue a formal request to a private company to build a site focused on increasing operating room and bed capacity for in-patient joint replacements, as well as a variety of day surgery procedures.”
The Ministry of Health says it is also exploring contracting an existing private surgery clinic outside of the province to perform hip and knee surgeries for residents on the province’s waitlist.
This from a government that once proudly proclaimed that Saskatchewan is a “have” province.
Timing of this announcement, coinciding with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Tommy Douglas’ medicare, should be more than concerning.
With the plan to build private clinics and outsource publicly funded surgeries to private clinics, is this government signalling the end of publicly funded and administered health care?
If allowed to proceed with this plan, this government will add health care to the list of items people in Saskatchewan can no longer afford.
Martin Been
Saskatoon
Find the published article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix here.
Martin Been, Member of SEIU-West Political Action and Awareness Committee, has upped his game in response to the lack of response from his letter to his Member of Parliament, as well as letters to the Editor of the Star Phoenix: Investment Must Stay With Long-Term Care in Saskatchewan and concerns expressed over private healthcare in Saskatchewan and the poor response from the Provincial Health Minister.
Read on!
The SEIU-West Education Committee will be sponsoring up to two delegates to attend the Saskatchewan Association of Combined Laboratory and X-Ray Technicians (SACLXT) Fall Conference on October 22, 2022 at the Sandman Signature Hotel in Saskatoon.
They will reimburse registration costs, lost wages, travel costs and meal expenses for those who are selected to attend according to our policies.
Space for these courses is limited, so get your Expression of Interest in soon. Your completed Expression of Interest form must be received in our office on or before August 29, 2022 in order to allow us to complete the registration and selection process.
You will be required to submit a report within 30 days to SEIU-West's Education Committee.
More Information about the event can be found here:
2022 AGM Agenda
2022 SACLXT Conference Agenda
2022 SACLXT Registration Form
*Once you've been notified that the Education Committee is sponsoring you, you'll still need to register for the conference. We will book you a hotel if required and we will send you our Member Expense Form to reimburse your costs.