On April 28th, the National Day of Mourning, we remember and mourn for the workers who have been injured or killed on the job. In remembering, we must not let those lost lives be in vain. We need to rejuvenate our efforts to make sure all workers can come home from work safe and healthy every day.
The Education Committee will be sponsoring up to six (6) delegates to attend the SFL Prairie School for Union Women in Waskesiu Lake, Saskatchewan from June 7-11, 2020. We will cover registration costs, lost wages, and meal expenses for those meals not provided at the school. For Saskatoon and area women (or those delegates that will be travelling through Saskatoon) there will be a chartered bus provided. Delegates from other areas of the province will be notified regarding car-pooling arrangements and in those cases, travel expenses will be covered.
Anyone interested in attending this school is asked to:
Your completed Expression of Interest form must be received in our office on or before, April 2, 2020 in order to allow us to complete the registration and selection process. Unfortunately, if you have attended this school in the last 3 years, your application will not be considered unless there are extra spots due to low entries.
Forward your completed pdf forms to:
Colleen Denniss, Chair, Education Committee
#200 – 747 46th Street W., Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A1
Fax: 306-652-1392
Email: [email protected]
Delegates attending the school will be asked to submit a brief report to the SEIU-West Executive Board through the Education Committee Chairs following the completion of the event. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this regard.
The members of the SEIU-West Workers Safety Committee (WSC) invite you all to walk with us on May 3rd, 2020 in the Saskatoon Steps for Life 5km fundraising walk to shed light on workplace tragedy.
Our SEIU-West Multicultural Mentorship Committee (MMC) is currently seeking to fill two vacant positions.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to expand their union involvement and activism in this position, and play an active role in making the connections for SEIU-West members as to why multicultural mentorship is important.
The remaining term for this position is for approximately one year and four months.
We are inviting interested members to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) You can submit online or by downloading the printable PDF file of the EOI and sending it in by fax- 306.692.2807 or by email to Vice President Neil Colmin’s attention.
Once submitted, President Barbara Cape will work with the Top Officers and together they will make a recommendation to the Executive Board to appoint an eligible member to fill the vacancy for the remaining term.
If you or any of the member in your unit are interested in applying, please apply by Friday February 28, 2020.
As always, if you or your members have any questions please use our Contact form.
By Janell Kachuik, Co-chair – Young Worker Committee (YWC)
The SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) is shining a light on issues that often get pushed into the shadows and aims to break down stigma associated with important issues in our communities.
Mental health and addiction are topics that people don’t like to talk about due to the stigma around them, but we need to stop fearing it and start embracing it. As Canadians, 1 in 5 experience a mental illness or addiction problem. Roughly 50% of individuals with severe mental disorders are affected by substance use. We have to stop believing that mental health and addictions are just going to get better without treatment.
Young people are more likely to experience mental health and substance use disorder than any other age group. The question is, how can we help? Don’t give up on them, make sure that they know they are loved – sometimes they have to hit rock bottom before they get help.
I’m one of those young people. My name is Janell – I’m the Co-Chair of the SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) and I suffer from depression and anxiety. It started in high school and it was really bad. I started to cut – first it was on my legs so people couldn’t see but then I started to cut my wrist – to me it was a way to release what I was feeling because when I cut it took my pain away for a little bit. I had stopped but then I started working in a workplace where I was the only person under the age of 30 and was feeling isolated. The way I would cover it up is wearing long sleeve clothing and if someone would ask me about it, I would say I fell.
In 2015 it got really bad. A year when I should have been happy and enjoying life. But in October my life changed and I started cutting. I wasn’t able to sleep. I wasn’t talking or being myself. I finally decided to end things, but with the help of my family and friends I’m still here. They started to see the signs, and told me to get help – my family had to tell me that they didn’t want a headstone, they wanted me.
The first step was to get a doctor to listen, and this doctor took me off work and then made it so I couldn’t be alone. The doctor started me on medications, and with the help of my mother I was able to get into counselling. I started going twice a week then I went to three times a week – one session was one-on-one and the other was in a group setting.
There are things you can do to get on the road to recovery. With the right support, self-help and treatment, you can overcome a re-occurring disorder, reclaim your sense of self and get your life back on track. What’s important is that we’re creating a supportive environment where people know they can ask for help.
If you need support, call 211 or go to https://sk.211.ca/ to find mental health and addictions support services across Saskatchewan.
Apply to attend the 2020 CLC/SFL Spring School being held April 20th – 24th at Temple Gardens in Moose Jaw! The Education Committee will be sponsoring up to 6 delegates to attend. They will cover registration costs, lost wages, travel costs and meal expenses for those who are selected to attend.
Anyone interested in attending this school is asked to complete the SEIU-West Expression of Interest Application form either online or with our paper form.
Your completed Expression of Interest form must be received in our office on or before March 20, 2020 in order to allow us to complete the registration and selection process. In this brochure, you can determine what courses interest you most.
Forward your completed form to:
Colleen Denniss, Chair, Education Committee at #200 – 747 46th Street W, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A1 or fax: 306-652-1392 or by email at [email protected]
Once delegates are chosen we will complete an online registration.
Delegates attending the school must submit a brief report to the SEIU-West Executive Board through the Education Committee Chair following the completion of the event. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this regard.
Related Documents:
A position on our Political Action & Awareness Committee (PAAC) is currently vacant as a result of the resignation of a member.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to expand their union involvement and activism in this position, and play an active role in making the connections for SEIU-West members as to why politics is important.
The remaining term for this position is for approximately one year and four months.
We are inviting interested members to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). You can submit online or by downloading the printable PDF file of the EOI and sending it in as described.
Once submitted, President Barbara Cape will work with the Top Officers and together they will make a recommendation to the Executive Board to appoint an eligible member to fill the vacancy for the remaining term.
If you or any of the member in your unit are interested in applying, please apply by Friday January 31, 2020.
As always, if you or your members have any questions please use our Contact form.
A vacancy has arisen on the SEIU-West Young Workers Committee so we are inviting interested members to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to fill this vacancy.
The successful applicants will have the opportunity to expand their union involvement and activism in this position, and play an active role in engaging young workers into our union.
If you are interested in applying, please complete this online form or this pdf EOI form and submit it to Barb Cape’s attention by Monday, January 13, 2019 via email: [email protected] or fax: 306 652 1392.
December 6th – the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – is meant to mark the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal who were killed because they were women. December 6 acts as a day to recognize and stop the ongoing gender-based violence women experience in Canada, and to ensure awareness and progress towards concrete solutions in eliminating violence against women.
In recognition of the National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women in Canada, the SEIU-West YWC encourages you to do your part in raising awareness on violence against women and to demonstrate your solidarity for those who provide support to women in need. You can do that by participating in their contest – plus you could win one of three pairs of earrings from Hillberg & Berk; proceeds of which go to survivors of domestic violence in Saskatchewan. There are two chances to be entered to win:
The deadline to enter is December 14, 2019!
For a list of requested items for women's shelters, visit the Moose Jaw Transition House donations list, the Saskatoon Interval House donations list, and the South West Crisis Services website.
The Retiree committee is seeking former SEIU-West members who are interested in maintaining their Union activities to fill out the remaining spaces available on the SEIU-West Retiree Committee.
You can submit your Committee Expression of Interest (EOI) form online or print, fill out and return in person or by fax. Please forward your EOI form to Janice Platzke; she will work with the Top Officers who will make recommendations to the Executive Board to appoint eligible SEIU-West Retirees to fill the vacancies.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to continue their union involvement and activism.
If you are a recent retiree or know someone who has recently retired from your unit who might be interested in applying, submit your EOI to Janice Platzke's attention by Thursday, December 5, 2019.
In the meantime, if you or your members have any questions please feel free to contact Janice at (306) 773-2536 (ext. 8732) or email [email protected].