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.
In order to ensure SEIU-West members who are voting on the SAHO Tentative Agreement (TA) have plenty of opportunity to ask questions about the TA document, we will be holding various meetings over the coming weeks.
National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) is from November 22 to 28, and this year is a particularly important year to recognize how much addictions affect our communities – as the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction shared, people who use substances report a loss of social connection and supports and an increase in isolation, fear and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s why the SEIU-West members who work in addiction services are so vital to the wellbeing of our communities because treatment centres and programs are essential for recovery and support. Members who work at Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI), the Saskatchewan Impaired Driver Treatment Centre or within the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are crucial to improving the wellbeing of those suffering through addictions.
We want to thank all our SEIU-West members who work with those suffering with addictions, and we extend our admiration for those battling with addictions – we know how stigma and lack of access to support systems can create huge barriers for recovery, and we hope our Saskatchewan Government will take steps to address this growing crisis.
From November 22-28, SEIU-West is proud to recognize and celebrate Education Week!
SEIU-West is pleased to acknowledge the work that Education Assistants, Library Technicians, Custodians, Tradespeople, Food Service Workers, Administrative Assistants, and School Bus Drivers do to prepare students for tomorrow. The SEIU-West education team ensure our children experience quality education by:
- Assisting teachers to provide tailor-made education for students;
- Ensuring school offices and administrative details run smoothly;
- Providing healthy meals to keep young minds strong;
- Driving and maintaining the buses so our children make it home safely; and
- Creating safe schools and grounds for students to enjoy.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, Education Workers are going above and beyond to ensure the safety of students. We know you’re working hard, and are often faced with inadequate plans from our government – as with all front line workers during COVID-19, you should have a wage supplement to demonstrate the value you bring to our communities during these trying times. We continue to work on this front and hope you will connect with your newly elected MLA on this issue as well.
In recognition of our Education team, we encourage you to participate in the Education Week Contest!
Let us know about an Education Worker (must be a SEIU-West member) who goes above and beyond in their work – you and your nominee could win a gift card or SEIU-West swag!
Enter the contest by November 29, 2020 to [email protected] for your chance to win!
For Immediate Release - November 20, 2020
Tentative Agreement Reached – SEIU-West Members to Vote
Saskatoon – After over 1300 days without a new collective agreement, SEIU-West members achieved a tentative agreement (TA) with SAHO and the Employers late on Thursday November 19th.
“Our members have been engaged and vocal and active in sending letters to decision makers and local papers; signing and submitting petitions to the government; holding physically distanced public #DoneWaiting demonstrations; and meeting with their MLAs (prior to the pandemic). All of these actions have made a difference in getting us to this point,” says Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West. “Bargaining in the midst of a worldwide pandemic has been challenging. For the SEIU-West bargaining committee, ensuring the work our members do on the front line of this pandemic is recognized has been our priority."
Date: November 20, 2020
BARGAINING UPDATE
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee was scheduled for conciliation talks with SAHO on November 16 and 17 together with Pete Suderman, the Conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. These dates extended into November 18 and 19.
At the end of a number of late nights, we reached a tentative agreement that we will bring to our members for ratification. Details of the tentative agreement will be shared first with our members, before they are shared more widely.
Unfortunately, because of the public health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we aren’t able to meet our members in their facilities. To ensure our members get an opportunity to review the contents of the agreement so everyone voting can make an informed decision, we are preparing the following:
- A document for members to review that will outline the changes and improvements.
- Numerous video conferences and virtual town halls to provide every member with ample opportunity to ask questions and understand the impact of the agreement.
- Multiple opportunities for members to meet the bargaining committee virtually to ask questions.
In addition, our voting process will be done electronically, rather than by paper ballot within the facilities.
We will have up to 60 days in which to complete the voting process according to The Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA).
If you would like an electronic copy of the tentative agreement, please use the ‘contact’ link on SEIUWEST.ca. Provide your name, mailing address and facility so that we can cross reference you on our member database and we’ll send you an electronic copy.
There will be a number of questions along the way and we strongly recommend that members look for answers by attending our bargaining presentations or through the Member Resource Center (MRC) by phone 1-888-999-7348 ext. 2298 (or the contact form on SEIUWEST.ca) – we will not be answering questions through social media.
In Solidarity,
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
For Immediate Release - November 18, 2020
Stronger COVID Guidelines Welcome
Regina – Yesterday the Government of Saskatchewan announced new public health measures to combat rapidly-rising COVID numbers. Most notably, masks must now be worn in all communities, private gatherings are now limited to 5 people instead of 10, and visits to care home residents will be allowed only for compassionate reasons. Restaurants, bars, gyms, and places of worship will remain open, but these groups will be consulted to develop safer practices. Premier Scott Moe described these measures as “not a lockdown” but rather a “one-month slowdown” in hopes of flattening the COVID curve enough to permit Christmas gatherings.
SEIU-West welcomes these measures, but is concerned they don’t do enough to acknowledge and relieve the additional burdens health sector workers have faced, and will increasingly face during this second wave of the pandemic.
“We welcome the province-wide mask order,” says Barb Cape, President of SEIU-West. “We hope this is a signal that the Government is listening to the voices of health care providers. The virus doesn’t check what a town’s population is before dropping by. Restrictions on family gatherings are important, but not having similar restrictions on restaurants, bars, athletic/recreation activities, and church services allows for another vector for infection and spread of this dangerous virus.”
“It’s incredibly unfortunate that we’ve had to move to restricting visitors to long-term care and personal care homes,” Cape continues. “If anyone understands the impact this has on residents and their families, it is health care staff. The challenge now is for health care staff to keep residents active, engaged and happy. Given the chronic understaffing that prevails in long term care, this becomes a challenge exclusively for health care staff.”
Cape calls for the Saskatchewan government to offer a temporary wage subsidy to all health care workers. “Premier Moe confirmed in the media conference yesterday that our government is sitting on tens of millions in unused federal COVID funding. Now is the right time to draw on that for the benefit of those who are on the front line fighting COVID in the hospitals, LTC/personal care homes, home care, and community based organizations. Our members are exhausted - workloads have ballooned, emotional and physical burdens have taken a toll, and the stress caused by this pandemic continues to be overwhelming. It is time for a show of real appreciation for the front line faced with COVID and its impact on the health care system. At the same time, relief is necessary - we would encourage a slowdown in SHA services in order to provide a moment for the health care system to regain a sense of equilibrium in labs, hospital services, ICU’s/COVID units, and in long term care.”
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.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Shawna Colpitts
Director, Political Action & Education, SEIU-West
Phone: 306 652-1011 ext 2224
For Immediate Release - November 13, 2020
Let’s Take the Politics out of COVID
Regina – Today the Government of Saskatchewan announced they were introducing new public health measures to address Saskatchewan’s rising number of COVID cases. The measures are a patchwork of weak rules driven more by the political needs of the Sask Party than by science or the experiences of front line health providers.
For Immediate Release - November 12, 2020
Strasbourg & Watrous – Still in search of a fair collective agreement after over 1300 days, SEIU-West health care providers are showing their communities their frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO). This is due to the Saskatchewan Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.