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.
Pinned
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.
Info pickets provide an opportunity for SEIU-West members to send a message to their employer and to the general public, that bargaining needs to progress and SEIU-West members deserve a fair contract!
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes. 
Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy but Russell is offering some advice from his Kitchen headquarters.
I work as a cook in an LTC facility. Every day seems to be like walking into a new job because we don’t know what we are walking into and a lot of us frontline staff feel the same way. We are looking to our managers for direction. Many of my coworkers have worked here a long time so they know their jobs but there’s a lot of pressure and stress with COVID-19.
Everyone is scared for their own safety to start with. Workers are already coming into work with anxiety. Many of my coworkers are scared to bring it home to loved ones.
Sometimes we just have to talk about it and when we do, I see that people are ready to cry. Everyone seems to have an understanding that this is bigger than our unit, our region. We are just trying to do the best we can.
For the most part, everyone is working beyond their job. People are having to work together. People are so stressed out that if one day they are moving slower than normal, the rest of the team covers that slack without judgement. This is bringing unity to my team. My advice to everyone out there is to lean on each other, talk to each other and help each other out because after this settles down, it comes down to your life.
We are all in the same boat. I think this is going to humble everyone. Growing up, we had more of a community and we shared resources because we had to. I’m hoping this helps us realize we need to get together and take of care of each other. We are lucky we have healthcare and sanitation. It’s good to be a Canadian.
Today the 22nd of April, SEIU-West is proud to celebrate ‘Administrative Professionals Day!
The fights against the coronavirus and the climate crisis go hand-in-hand, and as we work to flatten the curve of this pandemic, we must strive toward the longer term goal of building a society rooted in sustainability and justice.
From April 22, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, to April 24, activists, performers, thought leaders, and artists will come together for an empowering, inspiring, and communal three day livestream mobilization:
- April 22 will focus on Earth Day and youth climate strikes. Join indigenous leaders and youth climate leaders as they unite through storytelling.
- April 23 will spotlight divestment, climate financing, and reorganizing the global economy so that it works for all people and the planet.
- April 24 will focus on voter registration and political engagement.
Find out more at Earth Day Live 2020 and RSVP now!
There are many other ways to celebrate Earth Day if you can’t join the livestream events. At https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2020/, you can view worldwide events to join, or you can develop your own personal Earth Day action! For example, many people are putting up signs in their windows to support a sustainable planet - make an Earth Day window sign to encourage activism and let neighbors know how to get involved.
Many people are also cleaning up their neighbourhoods so if you can, get outside and collect trash! You can also Take the Earth Day Daily Challenge, a 22-day series of actions to protect the environment, which are posted by the Earth Day Network. Participants can also add their own actions with the hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE.
For more information on Earth Day events and how to get involved, visit this link.
On April 17, 2020, we annouced that we've reached a Letter of Understanding (LOU) related to staff redeployment and cohorting between all five health care unions, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), and Saskatchewan Association of Health Care Organizations (SAHO).
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes. 
Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy but Roxy is offering some advice from her Laboratory headquarters.
"We are holding up alright here, and staying informed. I’m focused on what I can control and what I can’t. We are in the calm before the storm right now. There is a lot of buzz and people are jittery due to the high level of uncertainty. It seems like change comes constantly. It seems like we are in a crisis right now but we have zero cases at our facility as of today. It’ll get worse before it gets better. Do what you can to keep yourself and your family safe."
For Immediate Release, April 17, 2020
Saskatoon – SEIU-West and the other health care unions [Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Sask Government & General Employees Union (SGEU), Sask Union of Nurses (SUN) and Health Sciences Assoc of Sask (HSAS)] have reached an agreement with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to create a staff redeployment strategy for COVID-19.
Click here for a printable PDF file of this President's Message (LOU on Redeployment).
Over the course of the last 10 days, representatives from SEIU-West, CUPE, SGEU, HSAS and SUN have met with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) reps via Webex to negotiate a Letter of Understanding (LOU) regarding the development of a Labour Pool and redeployment strategies from the Labour Pool – this is only in relation to COVID-19 health care needs.
A number of our members have asked about hazard pay. They hear grocery store staff are receiving a bonus and ask why aren’t health care workers getting something similar.
Good news! After weeks of talks with the employer and the Ministry, the SHA has finally released a new set of PPE guidelines setting out much-needed access for PPE for those working in the health care sector and Extendicare facilities!
Going forward, recommendations for Continuous face mask use and Extended use of face masks and eye protection are now as follows:
*Continuous face mask use: all health care workers who come into contact with patients during the course of their shift must wear a face mask at all times.
*Extended use of face masks and eye protection is the practice of wearing the same face mask and eye protection for repeated interactions with multiple patients for the maximum of one complete shift.
Please read the attached documents below for details regarding the PPE, staff types and tasks it applies to.
CV-19-G0006-Continuous-and-Extended-PPE-Use-Guidelines-Acute-Care-April-14-2020
CV-19-G0007-Continuous-and-Extended-PPE-Use-Guidelines-Continuing-Care-April-14-2020
CV-19-G0008-Continuous-and-Extended-PPE-Use-Guidelines-Testing-Assessment-Sites-April-14-2020
CV-19-G0009-Continuous-and-Extended-PPE-Use-Guidelines-Home-Care-April-14-2020
CV-19-G0010-Continuous-and-Extended-PPE-Use-Guidelines-Primary-Care-April-14-2020
This directive covers the SHA and Extendicare facilities. If any issue arises with following directive, please speak to your employer.
Remember to you can also send all questions/concerns to our Member Resource Centre - you can call anytime at 1.888.999.7348 ext. 2298 (province-wide) or email at https://www.seiuwest.ca/contact.
SEIU-West continues to fight for the safety and wellbeing of our members. #GetMePPE #Solidarity #ProtectAllWorkers #StrongerTogether #WeAreAllinThisTogether
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes.
Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy but Deidre is offering some advice from her Home Care headquarters.
"Stay safe and do proper hand washing. Get correct information. Do not rely on Dr. Facebook! We will get through this. We are a team!"
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes. Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy, Tami is an SEIU-West Front Line hero. Her super power is diagnostics.
"Unless you’re on the front lines, you don’t see COVID-19 directly. You don’t work with COVID-19 patients. You don’t know what it’s like. 
The unknown scares us. Everything is changing literally by the hour. PPE changes, which leads us to wonder if we were safe.
It’s hard to feel like we are well informed. The plan changes daily. Everyone feels out of the loop but as staff, we have tried to find out more information.
We attend emergency safety meetings and contact other departments.
To get through every day, I rely on my coworkers. This pandemic has brought our department closer together.
Best thing to do if I’m feeling anxious or nervous, is to talk it out as it helps me realize I’m not the only one and everything feels better when you get it off your chest. It’s important to stay open and communicate. If you need support, reach out to those you trust that can help you."
On March 24 the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) released “recommendations” about what personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn by health care workers caring for people with COVID in hospitals, community/long-term care, and home care contexts. Since then, the SHA has been turning these recommendations into policies and practices.