Date: March 27, 2023
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
It has been some time since we last communicated with you and I apologize for that. The bargaining situation was slow to evolve since November of last year, but we have some news at last.
In our last written update we informed you that we had tabled a last position to the Employer and told them that only wanted a yes or no answer. We asked that they either agree to the proposal and we would bring it out to you for a ratification vote or, if they so chose, say no to the proposal and we would take that to mean we had reached an impasse and we would apply to the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board for assistance in bargaining for a first agreement. To make a long story short the Employer said no and we have made our application to the Board. The Board have issued an order mandating that the two sides go to conciliation. The next step is we write to the Minister of Labour to request that he appoint a labour relations officer to act as conciliator.
The road to this impasse has been longer and more complicated than the description above would lead you to believe. In the period leading up to the Union’s last offer in November of 2022 both sides did work very hard and move a lot trying to get to an agreement. At this point we agree on far more than we disagree on. After we tabled our last position with a deadline, we gave the Employer extra time to give us an answer. They didn’t agree to our whole position, but they did agree to parts of it and tried to find the middle on some others. So, the two sides took a last stab at finding common ground. However, we found that every time we got closer it took longer to move and it seemed that we just weren’t going to finish without help. We don’t want to come back to you with a proposal that we don’t recommend.
The Union is optimistic that the conciliation process will allow the two sides to reach an agreement. However, we still have work to do to get there and we have to make certain that we take every step to get the best agreement possible. We would like to meet with you to discuss what’s still outstanding at the bargaining table, what this step of the process means and what comes next. Please join us for a Unit meeting at 10:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. on Monday, the 3rd of April, for a discussion and to provide us with any input or questions you have. These meeting will be held remotely and the link will be provided by email before the meeting
Please watch for further updates and notification of any meetings. Please also forward any questions or concerns you have to the bargaining committee either directly or through the Member Resource Centre by phone at 1-888-7348 ext 2298, by email at [email protected], or by using the contact form on our website. We will provide further updates as information becomes available and when we make our next application to the Board.
Thank you for your patience and support.
In Solidarity,
Your SEIU-West Spruce Manor Special Care Home Bargaining Committee
Brenda Morrison (Unit Chair) • Mildred Braun (Unit Communicator) • Brenda Soiseth (Unit Vice-Chair) Staff Cam McConnell (Northern Negotiations Officer) • Tracy Goodheart (Union Representative)
Please click here for a printable copy of this Bargaining Bulletin
This Bargaining Bulletin was provided to members via email on March 27, 2023 and posted to SEIU-West on June 8, 2023.