Last year, SEIU created a survey for members about climate change and the impact on your lives.
Pinned
June is National Indigenous Peoples Month. This is a time to honour the rich history, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. It is an opportunity to reflect on historical and current injustices and commit to true reconciliation in Canada.
The First Nations, Métis and Inuit Committee would like to share some events and resources with you and encourage you to participate in events in your area.
SEIU-West is hosting our first Asian Pacific Islander Summit in Saskatoon on September 24-26, 2026 — an event to bring together workers from across Canada and the U.S.
Being an API member in Canada or the U.S can sometimes feel isolating. You might not have seen yourself in leadership. You may not have always felt seen or understood. But you can find a home with us. We believe in you. We see you. And most importantly, you belong.
Welcome home.
There is currently a vacancy on the SEIU-West Executive Board for members that work for the Community Based Organizations Sector.
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.
As you well know by now, there is an upcoming vote on the Tentative Agreement (TA) reached by the SEIU-West bargaining committee and SAHO in late November.
The info meetings through December were well attended and the voting registration process is now underway.
If you have yet to register please do so here at your earliest convenience.
If you have questions about the TA, you can call the MRC at 1-888-999-7348 at ext 2249. You can also checkout the Q&As here – all of the questions raised at the recent Virtual Town hall meetings, posted with answers. If you need further info, please do not hesitate to send your question to [email protected] or use the Contact form on this website.
Our work now is focused upon having maximum engagement and participation within our membership – we are working hard to adjust to COVID and our electronic/on-line means of communicating.
We want each of you to have the information you need to make an informed choice on January 11.
Help us to attain our goal – get informed, register to vote and cast your online ballot!
We know not all heroes wear capes. For one client at St Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon, there's no question that member Jessica Adair definitely saved the day.
Jessica didn't hesitate when she came upon a troubling scene inside the hallways of SPH, where a wheelchair-bound patient using an ATM was being actively robbed.
Thanks to her quick thinking and willingness to step in, Jessica's calls for help were almost immediately attended by SPH security and what could have been a scary situation ended well. There were no injuries and the patient's money was returned.
You rock Jessica!
On 2020's International Youth Day (August 12), the SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) launched a survey in order to determine young worker experiences during COVID-19 in Saskatchewan.
The responses were used shape a letter from the YWC to elected officials, including Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.
The following article was written by YWC committee member Arin Blair:
COVID-19 - it has reshaped our communities and we have had no choice but to adapt.
It has affected all of us, even if we have not directly been affected by it.
It is reducing our income, educational opportunities, social interactions and has made it more difficult to get by.
With that in mind, the SEIU-West Young Workers Committee reached out to other young workers (aged 35 and under) in our union and asked them to complete a survey about their experiences during COVID-19.
As the participants of the survey has shared, a lot of us have not had an easy time facing this pandemic on the frontline. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work was a big issue at the beginning of COVID-19, but we’ve adapted and supplies have improved. However, only 69% of the survey respondents know who to talk to about their COVID-19 concerns at work, including issues surrounding their PPE. Some members are still having trouble access the PPE supplies.
“I don't like having to fight our managers for more PPE (n95s and shields) when we run out on our unit. We’re under so much pressure to do the proper protocols and handle everything in a respectful and dignified manner. Everything changes weekly with the pandemic so keeping up is tiresome.”
Nearly 50% of respondents also said the pandemic has increased their personal day-today expenses for items like PPE and cleaning supplies for their families and homes.
But work overload and lack of staffing seems to be the biggest concern. Nearly 65% of survey respondents said they were getting called in to work on their days off due to understaffing, and job demands change almost daily. Nearly 25% of the respondents were not getting their vacation requests accepted at all.
“Our workload has tripled in the last 4 months, but we are short-staffed and not enough extra help being called in to help with the increased workload. Managers are requiring more short notice help to deal with the pandemic and when you put that on top of annual vacation being delayed and the many short notice vacation requests you end up in a no-win situation.”
The SEIU-West Worker Safety Committee would like to wish you a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!
As we go into the holiday season, I will admit that I’m not feeling very ‘Christmas-y’.
I’m stressed and worried about our members.
I’ve talked with so many of you - heard your stories, and your fears, and I am worried. I am concerned about your physical and mental health because this pandemic can wring you out with working so hard, for so long, under such taxing circumstances.
Together, we have been fighting hard to get you proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) policies and procedures, better staffing levels and a wage supplement for ALL health care workers. While you continue to show up and do your best with the limited resources you have, you also help by identifying both the problems and the solutions on the ground. We need this information to educate politicians on how to make better decisions... and we need to work together.
We are all running hard and fast to make sure our work gets done to our best ability. We’re trying to communicate as rapidly and as fully as we can with our members, our co-workers and our leaders.
We are wondering - what does the next day, week, year hold for us? Will the people of Saskatchewan uphold the public health orders and help us bend the curve of infection for this pandemic? Will we finally see increased resources for better staffing in the whole health care sector? When will our government begin to show the whole health care team respect and value?
I can’t give you the answer to those questions.
What I can offer is that we will continue to fight for proper PPE and to improve worker safety and policies. We will keep up the fight for better staffing levels and a wage supplement for ALL health care workers. Together we can win, for the future of our health care heroes, our education team, our community based workers, our towns and municipalities, our retirement and personal care homes.
For each other.
I know you are tired and stressed out. I know that you are frustrated that we have fought these fights before. I know that you feel like you are running on empty. But I believe that we can win and we will win together.
I wish you peace and rest over the holiday season…you deserve it.
In Solidarity and Respect,
Barbara Cape
Wednesday December 16 at 1 PM
OHC Update Session RE: Safety Processes/Guidelines
This is a follow-up session (from Sep 30) with the OHC co-chairs to inform of ongoing updates/changes to safety processes and guidelines in relation to COVID-19.
Please note that this presentation will be recorded (which will be made to OHC co-chairs).
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When it's time, join your Webex meeting here. |
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Meeting number (access code): 132 091 2583 |
| Meeting password: fPAsnfQ8D76 |
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Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only)
+1-306-271-1492,,1320912583## Canada Toll (Regina)
+1-306-808-2023,,1320912583## Canada Toll (Saskatoon)
Join by phone
+1-306-271-1492 Canada Toll (Regina)
+1-306-808-2023 Canada Toll (Saskatoon)
Global call-in numbers | Toll-free calling restrictions
Join from a video system or application
Dial [email protected]
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
Outside Saskatoon / Regina, use:
+1-855-244-8680 Canada Toll Free
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. For this article, the YWC is focusing on 211 Saskatchewan and is based on an interview between YWC member, Brittney and Andrea Howe, Director of Labour Partnerships & Community Impact with the United Way.
What is 2-1-1 Saskatchewan?
2-1-1 is a free, anonymous, confidential service that connects individuals to human services in the province. 2-1-1 maintains information on over 5,500 listings of social, community, non-clinical health, and government services in Saskatchewan and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
How can 2-1-1 be accessed?
2-1-1 can be reached by phone, through text, through our website, and by chatting through our on-line platform. Help is available in the way that is most comfortable and convenient for the person seeking services.
2-1-1 information is provided by certified information and referral specialists. Anyone can access 2-1-1.
Is 2-1-1 available in different languages?
Yes. 2-1-1 is available in over 175 languages, including 17 Indigenous languages.
Why 2-1-1?
2-1-1 is an important part of United Way’s work across Canada to build strong communities by connecting people to services.
A significant barrier for individuals and families to accessing the services they need is the complexity of finding the information they are looking for. Whether it is finding assistance with basic needs such as food, shelter and employment, looking for support for an aging parent, or trying to find childcare, navigating through all of the information out there can be overwhelming, confusing and ultimately a roadblock to finding support.
Besides serving major urban centers and smaller cities, 211 plays a critical role in providing support to individuals located in rural and remote regions where online services are often beyond reach.
How long has 2-1-1 been available in Saskatchewan?
United Way Saskatoon & Area and United Way Regina collaborated in partnership to bring 2-1-1 service to Saskatchewan to help people get connected to the information and support they need.
In 2014, the on-line database was launched (www.sk.211.ca). In June, 2018, the 2-1-1 service was expanded to include phone, text, and webchat.
What is the impact of 2-1-1?
211 helps first responders, social workers, police, and other service providers find accurate information to direct people to the right resources. Example:
• This December, the Saskatchewan RCMP announced a general duty business card re-print with RCMP contact information on the front (in English and French) and 2-1-1 Saskatchewan information on the back.
• "Front line officers with the RCMP will use the business cards to inform clients of 211 Saskatchewan and provide them with an avenue of outreach when a social issue is beyond our scope of ability to help with”. (Constable Joelle Nieman, Saskatchewan RCMP's Violence Relationship Coordinator)
2-1-1 helps to re-direct non-emergency calls from 9-1-1.
2-1-1 will be able to identify gaps in services and geographical areas based on unmet needs in our communities.
Beyond everyday needs and with further development the 2-1-1 service has the potential to be used for emergency response support as has been proven with the resources required in the Calgary floods or Fort McMurray wildfires, and currently COVID-19.
2-1-1 and COVID:
Existing 2-1-1 services across Canada saw a dramatic increase in the number of people reaching out for help during the first wave. For example, 2-1-1 Saskatchewan experienced a 90% increase in contacts from March to August of 2020 compared to the previous six months. As part of its COVID-19 response, the Government of Canada provided funding to United Way Centraide Canada to increase the capacity and expand access to 2-1-1 services for all Canadian residents. This will be even more valuable as we enter the second wave of the pandemic.
2-1-1 has been available in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and most of Quebec. With this Federal investment, 2-1-1 is now available in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In Quebec, services are available in some areas, with plans to roll out service across the province in December.
When should I call 2-1-1?
