For Immediate Release
June 12, 2025
Saskatoon—Family Support and Education workers at Prairie Harm Reduction voted—with a decisive 90% majority—to unionize their workplace with SEIU-West this spring.
The workers at Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR), like all SEIU-West members, provide critical support services for the people in their communities across Saskatchewan.
“People’s working conditions are also the conditions of care for the people who access these services,” says SEIU-West President, Lisa Zunti. “When workers come together to fight for better conditions, they’re not just doing it for themselves and their coworkers, they’re doing it to make things better for the people they serve.”
SEIU-West represents workers at numerous community-based organizations (CBOs) across Saskatchewan. Workers at these organizations are increasingly turning to unions to improve their working lives and the lives of their clients and residents.
“We’ve seen a real increase in the number of calls we’re getting from workers at community-based organizations,” says Graham Mitchell, Director of Organizing at SEIU-West. “They see the need for better conditions across the industry, and they’re ready to fight for them.”
That’s what happened for CBO workers at Pleasant Hill Place and the Youth Lodge of Quint Development Corporation in Saskatoon who voted to join SEIU-West in 2024.
“Joining SEIU-West was the best thing we could have done,” says Carly, a Program Support Worker at Pleasant Hill Place. “Our rights are respected, and now we can better advocate for the very best standards for our residents participating in the programs we deliver.”
“Realizing that such a huge change was within our grasp and having the fantastic people at SEIU-West support us has been such an amazing experience,” continues Carly.
Eric, Program Support Worker at Youth Lodge, agrees, saying, “I want all community-based organization workers to know they deserve more. You deserve to feel safe; you deserve respect; you deserve a union.”
Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West) represents over 13,000 people across Saskatchewan. They include people who work in health care, education, municipalities, community-based organizations, retirement homes, and other sectors. They are joined by one colour—purple—and one union, SEIU-West. Visit PurpleWorks.ca to find out more about SEIU-West members.
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For more information, contact:
Leanne Hendriks
Communications Coordinator, SEIU-West
306-652-1011 ext. 2244
Click here for a PDF version of this Media Release.