Media Release: Strike Notice Served: LutherCare Communities Group Homes
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2024
For Immediate Release
October 27, 2022
Saskatchewan – Wednesday’s Throne Speech from the SaskParty lacked new and substantive information regarding the government’s plans for this new session in the Legislature. The Throne Speech outlined monetary allocations and plans the SaskParty has already released to the public, including the Health Human Resources Action Plan. This plan is heavily focused on international recruitment, but lacks in real, actionable steps to retain workers currently in the public healthcare sector.
“The tired reiterations of the promises of the government regarding healthcare, social services, and education are old news. The people of Saskatchewan need more than promises. They need to see some real action to improve public services,” says Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West. Governmental priorities were made clear with a focus on fuel, fertilizer, and big agriculture—all seeing massive revenues this year—and little to no attention paid to other industries and public services. The promised allocation of more funding for mental health and addictions services is wonderful, but we need to see it happen.
“While the food, fuel, and fertilizer sectors are important, there are almost three times as many Saskatchewan people working in kids, care, and crisis intervention, according to StatsCan. The government is misplacing their priorities,” adds Cape. “It’s time for real investment in the people of our province.”
The answers lie not with opening more private surgery centres and clinics, but with appropriately funding our public systems. “The people of Saskatchewan deserve more than promises of money, of more staffing, and new facilities and schools. The people of Saskatchewan deserve to see action like building up our public services and using revenues to fund the public services that benefit all of us.”
“Unfortunately, our provincial government seems more concerned with picking fictitious fights with the federal government over jurisdiction than the plight of the people of his province,” Cape says. “Our healthcare system is in chaos; our education system is underfunded. The people of Saskatchewan are struggling, and their government is turning a blind eye to the real problems—and the solutions.”
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
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