There is currently a vacancy on the SEIU-West Executive Board for members that work for the Community Based Organizations Sector.
Pinned
Virtual town halls (VTHs) were scheduled for the evenings of May 27 and 28 to update SEIU-West members about SAHO bargaining and answer bargaining questions. Unfortunately, the VTH on May 27 ran into major technical glitches. We apologize if you were one of the hundreds of members whose experienced this failure. We were not satisfied that the supplier of the VTH platform would be able to properly fix these problems in time, so we decided to cancel the May 28 VTH.
You may have noticed there hasn't been an announcement about bbqs for the summer yet.
The SEIU-West First Nations, Métis and Inuit Committee (FNMIC) is hosting a contest to design an image for orange shirts that the committee provides yearly to members. Submit your design to enter to win a $100 Co-op gift card.
Disclaimer: the following information is based on what SEIU-West found on publicly available federal government websites. This information is subject to change as it comes from outside sources. We will update this post further as information becomes available.
SEIU-West is in the process of recruiting up to four facilitators for our internal membership training programs. The successful applicants will excel in communication and leadership skills and will gain valuable knowledge around their union’s practices and the greater labour movement.
Are you outgoing, friendly, approachable, and energetic? If so, this facilitator training opportunity may be for you!
The facilitator training, which is tentatively set for the fall of 2021, is a four day workshop that will deliver on several components that are key to creating a well-balanced and engaging learning environment for SEIU-West members, such as:
- popular education
- public speaking
- active and unbiased listening
- understanding class/group dynamics
- diffusing situations
- time management and agility
- acquiring resources and basic online training skills
- quality session prep
Applicants must be available to attend all four days of training (dates TBD).
You will be reimbursed for lost wages or will be provided with an honorarium for your attendance on days not scheduled to work. If restrictions permit the training to proceed ‘in-person’, your union will cover travel, hotel, and meal expenses. Otherwise, the training will be online and understandably these three costs would not be required.
Applicants will need to fill out the online Facilitator Training Expression of Interest Form by July 30, 2021.
Date: June 21, 2021
Greetings Sisters and Brothers at Extendicare,
Your Extendicare Bargaining Committee met on Friday June 11, 2021. The committee membership has changed. The members now are Lynette Pinfold – Moose Jaw unit chair; Colleen Watson – Elmview unit chair; Lisa Virtue – Sunset unit chair; Marlene Thomson – Parkside unit chair and Lori Klus – Preston unit chair. Union representatives are Tracy Goodheart and Katelyn Almen. Chief spokesperson will be Bob Laurie, director of Contract Bargaining & Enforcement for SEIU-West.
SEIU-West is looking for three members to volunteer to be our representatives on the Joint Regional SEIU-West/former Saskatoon Health Region (SHR) DTA/RTW Committee (Duty to Accommodate/Return to Work).
You must work within the former SHR.
For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near the summer solstice, marking its significance as the longest day of the year. Since 1996, Canada has celebrated June 21 as National Indigenous Peoples Day, to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, distinct languages, spiritual beliefs and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
While there is so much to celebrate, we must also acknowledge the collective grief and anger of Turtle Island after the recent discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (Kamloops) residential school, as well as other former residential school sites across Canada. While that grief and anger cannot be ignored, we can collectively work to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and other efforts to recognize the rights of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in Saskatchewan.
These rights have been internationally codified in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).
We acknowledge that before reconciliation, there must be truth. Truth is critical.
We know we must do better, every day of the year.
We must commit to continuing to learn, and unlearn, as much as we can about the culture, heritage and true history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Listen to their voices. Build connections with Indigenous Elders, colleagues, leaders and communities. Engage in meaningful dialogue. And do your homework, if you have not already:
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
A few of today's events:
The Office of the Treaty Commission has posted a list of virtual and in-person events being held across Saskatchewan.
The City of Regina is hosting its ninth annual celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day through a livestreamed event on its Regina National Indigenous Peoples Day Facebook page. Running from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the event includes a lineup of drumming, song, spoken word, a powwow performance, greetings dancing and more.
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is celebrating Indigenous culture and art through a livestream from its ethnology collection. At 1:30PM join Indigenous programming specialist Theresa Walter, conservator Victoria Kablys and Métis artist Holly Aubichon as they walk through the items in the museum’s Indigenous Studies Collection, including beadwork, quillwork and leatherwork.
SaskMusic and FACTOR Canada are presenting a special online concert in honour of National Indigenous History Month, airing 7 p.m. on Thursday June 25 on SaskMusic’s Facebook and YouTube pages. More than a local dozen artists from different musical styles have been paired with video mentors to create unique music videos over the past weeks. Following June 25, the concert will also be available to watch on SaskTel maxTV Local on Demand.
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is premiering Kevin Settee’s four-part series of short films, The Lake Winnipeg Project, at Indigenous Cinema, the NFB’s online collection of Indigenous-made films.
Date: June 18, 2021
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
I know it’s hard to believe that we’re still providing bargaining updates, but there have been some matters that we wanted to communicate to our members.
We’ve reviewed and corrected some errors in the wage schedules; provided some edits and corrections to the new collective agreement language; and we are having some issues with last minute additions that SAHO put on the new letters of understanding (LOUs). Normally these are signed by SAHO and SEIU-West’s bargaining team, as the parties to the collective agreement; however, now the Saskatchewan Health Authority has been added as a third signatory.
So why does this matter? SAHO is legally the official and exclusive bargaining agent for the healthcare employers and affiliates listed in the Collective Agreement. What does it mean if one employer now is superior to all the other employers in the collective agreement and enjoys potentially the same bargaining position as SAHO, which is supposed to be the SHA’s bargaining agent? Does this mean that the SHA can now withdraw from the LOU that everyone signed? Does it mean that an LOU signed by more Employer entities than SAHO (a potential violation of the Saskatchewan Employment Act) may be deemed null and void, or does it mean that only the SHA’s participation would be voided? The union has asked SAHO for their opinion on these matters, and awaits their response.
Beyond that, bargaining and reaching a tentative agreement is predicated on the notion that all issues have been thoroughly canvassed by the parties and there would be no surprises in the final collective agreement document. There was no discussion between the parties at the bargaining table regarding adding a separate signature line for the SHA in our new LOUs, and in the renewal of one particular LOU which sets out the Employer funding formula for the extended health and enhanced dental benefits plan. The union wants to be absolutely sure that this last-minute SAHO amendment to the LOUs will have no effect on the legality of the LOUs or on the commitments made in those LOUs.
While we resolve this issue, the production of the collective agreement books is being delayed.
As an interim measure, please refer to the current collective agreement and read it in conjunction with the language of the tentative agreement. We provided those electronically, and will put a copy on our website. If you want an electronic copy, just use the ‘contact us’ link on the website and we’ll get one in the mail to you. If you wish to check your rate of pay, please call the MRC for assistance.
In solidarity and respect,
Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee
To download a PDF copy of this bulletin, please click here.
Your SEIU-West SAHO Provincial Bargaining Committee:
CHR: Janice Platzke (SEIU-West Treasurer) • FHHR: Brenda Berry; Donna Gallant • HHR: Colleen Denniss • SHR: Judy Denniss; Rick Brown; Carla Saworski; Kim Wyatt; Charlene Sarafin; • Staff: Bob Laurie (Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement); Russell Doell (Deputy Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement); Cam McConnell (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape
Congrats to our recent contest winners!
Over the past month, we celebrated Paramedics, Disability Service Professionals and Unit Support Workers/Unit Assists.
SEIU-West's Multicultural Mentorship Committee, (MMC) is showcasing an article from FILCAS, (Filipino-Canadian Association of Saskatchewan) on what Independence Day or Araw ng Kalayaan is.
Please take a moment to learn about this very important day!
SEIU Canada stands in solidarity and grief with the people of London and with the Muslim community everywhere who were attacked by this act of terror.
Generations of role models were robbed of life and we share our hearts with everyone whose heart has been broken by hate and Islamophobia.
A beautiful young boy deserved the touch of his family and now our nation must prove to him and all Muslim children that the future will bring change.
We must live up to the example of this beautiful family, to end hate in our communities, and learn to fill pain with love.
SEIU members at Ritz Lutheran Villa mourn for their healthcare colleague who everyday served our elderly with excellence and compassion.