Effective Tuesday, October 14, 2025 SEIU-West will resume mailing out member expense cheques via Canada Post.
If you have questions about the status of your MEV, please email [email protected] and one of our team members will be happy to help.
Pinned
If you are an SEIU-West member working for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and you receive a communication from your employer indicating that you owe them money back for an N/52nds overpayment, please:
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!
The Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health (SASWH) is hosting its Annual General Meeting and Education Conference on March 24, 2020 at the Queensbury Convention Centre in Regina. The SEIU-West Worker Safety Committee (WSC) is sponsoring two members to attend - expenses will be reimbursed to a maximum of one day lost wages, as well as mileage and accommodation (depending on the distance of travel).
You can apply in two ways:
You must apply by March 4, 2020 and you be notified whether you’re accepted to attend in order to book union leave.
Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, harboring and/or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour. It is often described as a modern form of slavery.
According to Statistics Canada's latest figures:
- Cases of human trafficking soared from a couple of dozen across the country in 2010 to 340 in 2016. Because it is a crime that’s easier to hide, it is very difficult to track so these numbers are likely much higher.
- Over 90 percent of the girls being trafficked in Canada for sexual exploitation, were born here, and experts suspect there are thousands of them.
- Although they represent a mere four per cent of the population, nearly half of the trafficking victims were Indigenous women and girls.
- Girls and young women from all socio-economic backgrounds are hunted in malls, coffee shops, movie theatres, outside their schools and, increasingly, online. The victims are often too afraid or ashamed to tell anyone, or may not even realize they’re being exploited.
- The average age at which exploitation begins is 13; the average age of rescue, if a girl is rescued at all, is 17.
Given these figures, one has to wonder why there isn’t more public outcry.
It seems that this is partly due to the unfounded belief that it’s something that only happens to in big cities like Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver.
The fact that these crimes get more press coverage in those cities, doesn’t mean that they don’t happen in Saskatchewan.
This is a very real crisis that is happening right now in many communities.
Although it’s difficult to track victims across provincial and territorial borders, law enforcement has stated that there is a pattern or “city triangles” such as Saskatoon-Edmonton-Calgary, known routes along which victims are shipped that often include stops close to resource industries which have a large, transient and mainly male workforce.
If you or someone you know may be a victim, call Canada's national human trafficking hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
Other local resources available in Saskatchewan are:
Victim Services
Domestic Abuse Centres
National
Happy National Therapeutic Recreation month! 
SEIU-West would like to thank all the hard working Therapeutic Recreation coordinators, therapists, supervisors and workers.
Cheryl is a Recreation Volunteer Coordinator at a long term facility and she loves her job because she knows that what she does makes a huge difference in the residents’ lives.
She works hard to develop and implement therapeutic recreation programs that match residents’ needs.
So let’s celebrate the important role these men and women have in patient, client and resident health care.
Today we celebrate World Day of Social Justice with the theme ‘Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice.’
In recent times the term ‘social justice’ has become synonymous with political correctness and the true meaning of the word has been lost in a flurry of twitter wars as a derogatory term. 
Although some people might think the concept is relatively new – a creation by the ‘millennials’ – the notion of social justice is based on the Christian doctrine of helping less fortunate people—the weak, sickly, and oppressed.
Since the 1920s, social democratic governments in Western Europe have reinforced the view that all citizens should be treated equally.
Society cannot be fair or just if it has different categories or types of citizenship, such as nobility and the rest of the population, whites as first class citizens and blacks as second class etc.
It must be said that the union is a great equalizer and fits perfectly with this year’s theme because the primary goal of the union is to ensure the rights of every worker are upheld, while actively fighting to ensure that existing rights are not stripped back.
This is a constant and continuing struggle.
The general public might question the necessity of unions today, unaware of the fact that they may be one enactment away from losing their pension, parental leave, minimum wage, and other hard won social benefits they take for granted.
Inequality must be reduced or eliminated by expanding opportunities for working people and working with labour unions are where the real battles are fought and won.
This World Day of Social Justice, we invite you to take a minuet to reflect on the rights we all take for granted and how they were fought for and won by ‘Social Justice Warriors’ and trade unions.
Social Justice is not a dirty word and equality is only offensive if you’re the oppressor.
Click here to download SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 11
Date: February 19, 2020
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee met with SAHO on February 13 and 14 in Saskatoon. SAHO came prepared to talk about some new concepts regarding our collective agreement in an effort to get a collective agreement that we could take to our members for a vote.
The parties identified that we have some outstanding issues. There are still unresolved issues regarding the 2010 Unfair Labour Practice and the decision of the Saskatchewan Labour Board that needs to be heard. Issues regarding union seniority as it relates to the health care providers of SEIU-West, CUPE and SGEU working under the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) as one employer, and the need to reach a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.
The parties explored a new way of looking at the issues we face with a more ‘global’ view. Some of them don’t directly impact our membership – but speak to our principles as a union. Others, like seniority, are fundamental to how members identify working within SEIU-West or the other health care provider unions. For example, how do we calculate seniority in an understandable and transparent way, and apply it within SEIU-West bargaining units and across the province.
We received a proposal package from SAHO that contained new ideas related to resolving grievances and providing education funding that the SEIU-West bargaining committee is reviewing.
The SEIU-West and SAHO bargaining committees have agreed to the dates of February 25 to 28 to meet again to bargain.
Let your MLA; the Minister of Health, Jim Reiter at (306) 787-7345 or [email protected]; and the Minister of Rural and Remote Health, Warren Kaeding at (306) 798-9014 or [email protected] know that health care providers have been waiting too long for a fair deal and that an adequate monetary package is necessary to recruit and retain quality staff. Tell them to put care first and end understaffing.
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
Elmwood Group Homes, February 13, 2020
Click here to download a printable PDF file of Elmwood Group Homes: Bargaining Update No. 1
Hello Sisters and Brothers,
The current Collective Agreement’s term is January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019. After consultation with the membership, the Union Bargaining Committee met with the Employer from February 10 to 12, 2020, to begin negotiations to achieve a new Collective Agreement.
Roses are red 
Violets are blue
It’s Cardio Tech Day
Let’s show them love too!
SEIU-West is proud to acknowledge and celebrate our Cardiology Technologist members this February 14.
These health care professionals like our member Oksana who works at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon are on the front line working for the public every day.
Cardiology Technologists do the following (and so much more);
- test, monitor and assess heart performance;
- engage in difficult techniques of heart monitoring;
- ensure proper preparation for patients by explaining procedures;
- ensure patient comfort and safety during procedures; and
- provide resuscitation measures when needed.
Cardiology Technologists must also keep up to date and adapt to modernized technologies as they help to maintain health care equipment.
Watch our Cardio Tech day video to find out how Oksana’s passion for her job makes her a vital part of our public health care team.
MEMBERS’ INCREMENT NOT IMPLEMENTED
A member’s increment was stuck at Step 1 after two and a half years of employment. The employer was challenged on this issue by SEIU-West and we succeeded in ensuring that the member was moved to Step 3 and received all their back pay (a substantial amount) as per the CBA.
Another great win for our member and SEIU-West!
For Immediate Release - February 13, 2020
Saskatoon – SEIU-West members and their supporters were sharing information with the public outside of the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon this morning. This is where the annual Partners for Life Breakfast was being hosted by Canadian Blood Services (CBS). This event is intended as a recruitment effort to engage with donors.
Saskatoon – SEIU-West members who work for Canadian Blood Services (CBS) will be sharing information with the early risers of Saskatoon during an information picket along the sidewalks outside the Hilton Garden Inn on Thursday February 13, 2020.
The Education Committee will be sponsoring up to six (6) delegates to attend the SFL Prairie School for Union Women in Waskesiu Lake, Saskatchewan from June 7-11, 2020. We will cover registration costs, lost wages, and meal expenses for those meals not provided at the school. For Saskatoon and area women (or those delegates that will be travelling through Saskatoon) there will be a chartered bus provided. Delegates from other areas of the province will be notified regarding car-pooling arrangements and in those cases, travel expenses will be covered.
Anyone interested in attending this school is asked to:
- Complete the online registration form here OR
- Complete this pdf SEIU-West Expression of Interest Application form
- Review the brochure for course selection here
Your completed Expression of Interest form must be received in our office on or before, April 2, 2020 in order to allow us to complete the registration and selection process. Unfortunately, if you have attended this school in the last 3 years, your application will not be considered unless there are extra spots due to low entries.
Forward your completed pdf forms to:
Colleen Denniss, Chair, Education Committee
#200 – 747 46th Street W., Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A1
Fax: 306-652-1392
Email: [email protected]
Delegates attending the school will be asked to submit a brief report to the SEIU-West Executive Board through the Education Committee Chairs following the completion of the event. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this regard.
Going Forward, Guided by the Past: Black History Month 2020
Once again we’re celebrating Black History month! It is a time to celebrate and recognize the rich history and contribution that people of African descent have made in our society and also reflect on how we can combat racial inequalities. 
The theme this year is ‘Canadians of African Descent: Going Forward, Guided by the Past.’ And this year’s Black History Month emblem, the Sankofa Bird, is derived from the word “Sankofa”, taken from the Twi language mainly spoken in Ghana, Africa. Sankofa is translated as “Go back and get it” and it is inspired by an ancient proverb that states “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind”. What this basically means is that we need to look back i.e. learn from the past, in order to move forward.
It is important to acknowledge the injustice that had been done to people of African descent in the past, so we can start the healing process and work on solutions for the issues of today. The federal and provincial government must also examine the negative impact its laws, policies and practices have black communities.
Join us this February in celebrating the many accomplishments of Canada’s community of people of people of African descent as we reflect on the past to build a successful and bright future.
There will be an event on Saturday the 15th of February at the Frances Morrison Central Library titled, Black History Month: Unity, Culture & Love.
It is presented in partnership with Government of Canada, City of Saskatoon, Faith Leaders Council (USask), Truly Alive Youth and Family Foundation Inc, Saskatoon Open Door Society, African Students Association, NSA University of Saskatchewan, USask International Students.
Come engage, learn and celebrate Black History month with cultural performances, vendors and a panel of speakers.