Committee News

The SSMLT Fall Conference is being held at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina beginning September 26, 2019. The Education Committee is pleased to sponsor up to two (2) delegates to attend. We will cover registration costs, lost wages, travel costs, hotel costs and meal expenses for those members who are selected to attend.  

If you are an SEIU-West member working in a MLT classification and you are interested in attending this conference we ask you to:

• Complete the attached SEIU-West Expression of Interest Application form.

Your completed Expression of Interest (EOI) form must be received in our office on or before August 6, 2019 in order to allow us to complete the selection and registration processes.  If you have already completed the online registration to this conference and are selected, we will request a copy of your registration receipt and reimburse you.

Please forward your completed EOI form to:

            Colleen Denniss & Brenda Coben, Co-Chairs, Education Committee

            #200 – 747 46th Street W, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A1

            Fax:  306-652-1392

Once delegates are selected we will complete an online registration and may request your assistance with this.

Delegates attending this conference must be dues paying members and are required 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 SACLXT Fall Conference is being held at the Saskatoon Inn in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan October 18, 19, 2019. Please visit http://saclxt.ca to find added information and details on the conference. The Education Committee is pleased to sponsor up to two (2) delegates to attend. We will cover registration costs, lost wages, travel costs, hotel costs and meal expenses for those members who are selected to attend.  

If you are an SEIU-West member working in a CLXT classification and you are interested in attending this conference we ask you to:

• Complete this SEIU-West Expression of Interest Application form. 

Your completed Expression of Interest (EOI) form must be received in our office on or before August 6, 2019 in order to allow us to complete the selection and registration processes.  If you choose to complete the online registration to this conference and are later selected we will request a copy of your registration receipt for reimbursement.

Please forward your completed EOI form to: 

            Colleen Denniss & Brenda Coben, Co-Chairs, Education Committee

            #200 – 747 46th Street W, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A1

            Fax:  306-652-1392

Once delegates are selected we will complete an online registration on your behalf.  We may require your assistance to do so.

Delegates attending this conference must be a dues paying member and are required 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.

In recognition of World Environment Day on June 5, your SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) encourages you to get involved in the daily efforts that are calling for a sustainable planet for current and future generations.

Every week, young people from around the world have been taking a lead in climate change awareness by striking against climate inaction, a tactic those in the labour movement are very familiar with. These strikes are a part of a larger movement that began in 2018 when Greta Thunberg, a teenager from Sweden, led the first student’s climate strike. Over time, her actions gained more attention and now, we’re seeing kids walk out of school on Fridays for the aptly named, Fridays for Future, in the hopes that our governments around the world will listen.  In countless reports, kids are telling us they’re fighting for their lives as they take to the streets to demand action on climate change. They are aware that they will bear the brunt of climate change impacts, and they want to see immediate action by decision makers.

In late 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report that warned that without serious, coordinated international cooperation and action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, it is almost certain our planet would warm by over 1.5 degrees Celsius – the impacts of this warming would be catastrophic. In order to prevent the coinciding drought, floods, extreme heat and ill-health that would come with going beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, we need to take big steps to reduce our emissions by 2030 – just 11 years from now.  

People around the world are listening to these kids and developing plans like the Green New Deal, “a bold and far reaching plan to cut emissions in half in 11 years in line with Indigenous knowledge and climate science, create more than a million good jobs you can support a family with, and build inclusive communities in the process.” Recently, hundreds of communities across Canada held Green New Deal Town Halls, and the people are developing the Deal to improve our future. 

These Town Halls contained brainstorming for both blue line ideas and green line ideas – the blue line ideas represent individual actions we can take, like talking to our neighbours about the impacts of climate change, reducing/eliminating the use of plastic, or composting. The blue line ideas are big picture/policy ideas and the results from this line are the ones that can make the big difference – fair taxation to fund a transition to renewable energy, creating nationalized public transit, re-training for affected fossil fuel workers, ending fossil fuel subsidies, or getting involved in CUPW’s Delivering Community Power initiative.

The SEIU-West YWC knows you need to take both individual and systemic action to address our climate crisis, so in recognition of World Environment Day, the SEIU-West is hosting a challenge and by entering, you’ll be entered to win some awesome prizes!

Tell us: what ideas do you have to create the big change we need to address climate change (green line)? And what steps have you made or are currently making at home or at work that will help to improve our planet (blue line)?

Send [email protected] your green blue/green ideas for your chance to win:

• Frontier Days Swift Current:
  • 4 June 26th Passes: (Includes general admission, Fresh Air Cinema Dumbo Movie in the Grandstand)
  • 2 June 28th Passes:  (Includes general admission, Rodeo, Colter Wall & Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
  • 2 June 29th Passes:  (Includes general admission, Mini Chuckwagon & Heavy Horse Pulls)
  • 2 rodeo Passes
• A large gift basket (pictured here)
• One of two $50 giftcards to Rock Creek Tap and Grill 

Deadline to enter: June 16, 2019

And please visit the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and/or Climate Justice Saskatoon for more information – these organizations are always looking to grow! It is also important that you support workers affected by climate action. Please visit Iron and Earth, an organization of oil sands workers who want to transition into renewable energy development. If you know someone who works in the oil sands, please share this initiative with them in the hopes we can have a similar organization in Saskatchewan!

Each June, SEIU-West celebrates Pride Month to support all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two spirit, questioning and queer people in Saskatchewan and around the world! As a union that strives to achieve a more just society for all, we ask that you join us in celebrating the contributions to social justice the LGBT2Q+ movement has achieved.

This year is a particularly momentous Pride Month as 2019 commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a historic uprising that is widely considered to be a vital event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern struggle for LGBT2Q+ rights in North America. Within two years of the Stonewall uprising, LGBT2Q+ rights groups were formed all over America, Canada, Australia and Western Europe. Today, the legacy of the Stonewall Riots lives on around the world in every pride march, celebration, and struggle to achieve LGBT2Q+ equality and justice. 

In recognition of Pride Month, we encourage you to join Pride Month activists around the province - check out Saskatoon Pride, Queen City Pride and in rural communities, check out Saskatchewan Pride Network’s events for more information on what’s happening around Saskatchewan.

And if you’re interested in marching in the Saskatoon Pride Parade, let us know by emailing [email protected]! SEIU-West will have a group of purple to show our pride at this event on June 22. 

In recognition of Pride Month, we are also holding a SEIU-West Pride Contest! In order to be entered to win, here’s what you have to do:

1. Send a selfie of you at a local Pride event to [email protected] OR
2. Write a few sentences why or/and how you celebrate Pride Month
3. BONUS: do both 1 and 2 to get two entries into the draw!

Those who participate will be entered to win one of the following:

• Frontier Days: Swift Current (sponsored by the SEIU-West Young Workers Committee!)
  • 4 June 26th Passes: (Includes general admission, Fresh Air Cinema Dumbo Movie in the Grandstand)
  • 2 June 28th Passes:  (Includes general admission, Rodeo, Colter Wall & Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
  • 2 June 29th Passes:  (Includes general admission, Mini Chuckwagon & Heavy Horse Pulls)
  • 2 rodeo Passes
• A large gift basket (pictured here)
• One of two $50 giftcards to Rock Creek Tap and Grill 

Deadline to enter: July 14, 2019

Good Luck!

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Young Workers Program and the United Way Centraide Canada (UWCC) are pleased to present the annual CLC/UWCC Post-Secondary Scholarship.

The CLC and the UWCC are long-time partners in taking action to create prosperous, inclusive, diverse and respectful communities, safer workplaces, and a fairer Canada for working people. Two years ago, we created a post-secondary scholarship in recognition of the important opportunities college or university education can provide for young people. Too often, these opportunities are out of reach for working-class people due to ever-increasing tuition fees.

This $2,500 scholarship is offered in recognition of the efforts of young workers across Canada who have demonstrated a commitment to positively impacting social and workplace issues in their community.

The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, June 7, 2019.

Please see the application form for eligibility criteria: www.canadianlabour.ca/scholarship.

Want to know why your elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) think it’s okay to mandate rollbacks and offer zeroes to health care providers while at the same time giving themselves a 3.5% wage increase last year and a 2.3% raise this year? Now is your opportunity to find out.

Your SEIU-West Political Action and Awareness Committee (PAAC) has identified a number of MLA BBQs occurring this month, and we encourage you to attend in order to speak to your MLA about how their actions devalue the hard work of those who provide health care in this province. There will be members of the PAAC there so if you’d like to meet with your fellow health care workers, please email [email protected] to coordinate.

Here are the details:

• Don Morgan – MLA for Saskatoon Southeast (and Minister of Labour): Free BBQ May 21^st from 5-7pm at St Bernard School (203 Whiteshore Crescent, Saskatoon) 
• Don Morgan – MLA for Saskatoon Southeast (and Minister of Labour): Free BBQ  May 22^nd from 5-7pm at St. Luke School (275 Emmeline Rd, Saskatoon)
• Don Morgan – MLA for Saskatoon Southeast (and Minister of Labour): Free BBQ May 25^th from 11:30am-2pm at the Independent Foods in Briarwood (315 Herold Rd, Saskatoon)
• Lisa Lambert – MLA for Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood: Free BBQ May 27^th from 4:30-6:30pm at the Nutana Kiwanis Park (3003 Porter St, Saskatoon -across from Market Mall)

SEIU-West is also able to provide a series of questions if you’d like assistance. Again, just email [email protected] in order to get a copy.

SEIU-West members understand that while we bargain with Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), it is our government that provides the budget SAHO has to work with. When we see MLAs give themselves raises while offering us zeroes, and when we know that the same budget that funds MLA salaries, funds ours – we must ask: where are the increases for health care providers so we can keep our heads above water?

It is vital that every health care provider have their voice heard. We hope you will attend at least one of the above-mentioned BBQs and if you are aware of any other MLA BBQs occurring, please let us know by emailing [email protected]

SEIU-West Committees keep us at the forefront of the Labour movement in Canada, and provide an excellent opportunity for members to learn from each other. Committee members serve for two years, and we have now approached the end of a two-year term so we are requesting SEIU-West members and all current committee members to submit their Expressions of Interest form should they wish to serve or remain on committees.

SEIU-West members have been calling, meeting, and writing their MLAs to discuss their concerns about unsafe staffing levels in health care. Members of the Political Action and Awareness Committee (PAAC) have also been meeting with elected officials, including our Premier. This meeting took place on December 14, following a discussion with Premier Moe at a Sask Party BBQ last summer where staffing levels and respect for health care workers were shared. Below, you will find the letter to the Premier as a follow-up from their December meeting, and the Premier's response. If you need assistance setting up a meeting or writing a letter to your elected officials, email [email protected]! 

We conveyed that we have no minimum care standards in long term care; it depends where you work and how many care providers there are, as to the workload. We raised the issue of mandating health care workers to work beyond full-time hours, with an example of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) being put in a position to either abandon their residents/patients or break The Saskatchewan Employment Act by working over 16 hours; all because there was no staff available to replace. We told you this is unfair and unsafe.  We mentioned a wing that went unstaffed overnight because there was no one available. We talked about vacant positions that cannot be filled, and regrettably those numbers have grown since December.  We discussed an equipment specialist who felt she couldn't access bereavement or sick leave because she knew cancelled appointments would mean another 6-12 months wait time for those families with children in need of care. We identified hard-to-recruit classifications such as the MRI Techs who are leaving the sector for better wages and work conditions.

It appeared that our Premier understood the need to increase staffing levels.  So I have let our members know in my many journeys that you seemed to hear and understand the struggles frontline health care providers face daily. I even sent out a letter to fellow leaders to tell them how you met with us and I told them that our voices matter.

While we are grateful to hear that you have found funding for mental health; this is a critical need and unfortunately many of our frontline workers are going to need it. They feel overwhelmed often, because they can't provide the care they know our seniors and most vulnerable deserve. Many have issues balancing work family life, not only due to mandating, also due to their self-imposed obligation to work many, many shifts in a row because they know no one else is there to do it.

We appreciate that change is slow in government, but your government needs to understand that it is necessary to create a healthier environment for health care workers and their patients, clients and residents in Saskatchewan.  After hearing  the budget details yesterday, it seems we have been forgotten again.  Funding for more beds doesn't cut it - we need more health providers every day in our care environments.  So I ask, whose voices matter and when will ours be heard?

Signed,

SEIU-West Political Action and Awareness Committee 

To read the Premier's response, click here.

By Cassidy Stynsky, Young Worker Committee Member

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. In the last installment, the YWC shone a light on domestic violence.

Not only is the YWC shining the light on the campaign Man Up, we are hoping members of SEIU-West will join us in our mission to help redefine what it means to Man Up.

If you don’t know, Man Up is a global challenge and movement that is trying to redefine, reconstruct, and educate society on all types of violence.

With this movement, organizers are educating and working with youth on how to stop gender-based violence, while also promoting gender equality.

The initiative of Man Up is to challenge the stigma, educate, and confront the effects of hyper-masculinity in society.

The YWC has chosen this campaign due to our belief that enforced gender roles should be challenged – it’s okay to be who you are without societal pressures dictating how you should behave.

Man Up hosts and connects with many organizations to provide a voice and education on how to reduce and stop violence – whether it be in the workplace or elsewhere.

This movement is important for all SEIU-West workplaces whether you’re male, female or however you identify; we should be respectful and eliminate violence.

Educating each other on how to redefine what it means to Man Up will improve – if not challenge – those who have experienced violence to use their voice and advocate for those who may feel trapped.

For more information, visit https://www.manupcampaign.org/

Have you ever thought: “I support reconciliation. I want to do my part, but I’m not sure what to do?”

If so, Reconciliation Saskatoon has put together the ConnectR website (www.beaconnectr.org). It’s an excellent interactive tool for people looking to find a way to help build better relationships between Canada’s Indigenous and settler communities. Its motto nicely describes how it works: “Choose your next step”. There are four “paths”: Spirit, Head, Heart, and Body. Clicking on a path takes you to suggested actions like “Attend a cultural event at your local friendship centre,” “Learn Indigenous teachings about plants,” and “Support Indigenous artisans online.” Each suggestion includes links to further information. You can also access this information by clicking one of the “Themes”, such as “Current Events”, “Facts and Figures”, and “Safe Spaces”.

ConnectR is the latest project of Reconciliation Saskatoon, a partnership of about 100 organizations, including the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, the City of Saskatoon, the Saskatoon Tribal Council, and the Central Urban Métis Federation. Some of the information is Saskatoon-specific, but most of it is useful wherever you live in Saskatchewan.

Check it out. It works well on cellphones too!