We are so excited to announce that your SEIU-West Treasurer, Janice Platzke, received the Larry Hubich Lifetime of Service Award at the 2024 Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Convention in late October. Congratulations, Janice!
Here's what her nominator had to say about Janice and her years of service:
It is without question that there is not a more deserving person for the Larry Hubich Lifetime of Service Award than Janice Platzke of SEIU-West!
Anyone that has been fortunate to work with Janice over the last 33 years will know that her contributions have played a pivotal role in the growth and success that labour has seen. She served on the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour's Executive Council as well as the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Woman’s Committee. Janice is no stranger to standing up to governments and employers whether it's fighting to keep a rural hospital open, fighting against privatization of food services in healthcare, or holding a media scrum at the Legislative Building. Her hard work, innovative ideas, attention to detail, and continuous efforts have not only enriched the lives of SEIU-West members and working people across the province, but have also set an inspiring example to everyone around her.
As we all know, governments are trying to chip away at our public services. We see it happening in our healthcare system, our education sector, and every government and public service we all rely on. Janice fights tirelessly to combat those government actions that attempt to downgrade or deskill these public services that we all benefit from. Within SEIU-West, Janice has been a leader and a partner fighting back against the privatization efforts.
Janice has been a strong voice for workers for over sixteen years where she represents workers’ voices and fairness for pay equity on the Joint Job Evaluation Maintenance Committee (JJEMC). She has brought her questions, demanded answers, and built her expertise in the service of workers on the 3S Health Extended Health and Benefits committee. Janice is always looking to enhance the benefits that workers have worked for and is the longest serving Partner on the Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees Pension Plan where she fights not only to enhance pensions for current workers, but for those that have already retired. She is currently helping to lead a legal battle where she is advocating to see pensions increased to retirees who have seen their buying power significantly decrease with the constant cost of living increases, yet many of these retirees have not seen an increase to their pensions in over 20 years.
As many of you also know, collective bargaining can be a never-ending fight against wage and language concessions and governments/employers neglect of our workforce through overwork and understaffing. We are lucky to have Janice at those bargaining tables because Janice is a fighter! She fights not only for her own members, but to make groundbreaking changes for all workers.
Janice is the type of leader that makes everyone around her better. There isn’t a picket line she won’t walk with to support workers, from Wakaw to Outlook to Weyburn and everywhere in-between! She leads by example and motivates others to step up into leadership roles and become leaders. She has led on the national and international level and contributed to spreading the union gospel across Saskatchewan, across Canada, and across the street. She has been an organizer, a communicator, a steward, a President, and a Treasurer…she is truly the full package.
Janice’s lifetime of service is not only to workers, but also to society’s most vulnerable and that makes her deserving of this award.
