In early December, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (the LRB) issued a decision about the five former Extendicare facilities. The decision was based on an interpretation of the regulations that governed a previous restructuring of the healthcare system in 1997, commonly called the ‘Dorsey regulations’. In that decision, the Saskatoon and Moose Jaw facilities remain within the SEIU-West family. However, the 3 Regina-based facilities were moved, without a vote of the membership, into the CUPE 5430 jurisdiction.
Pinned
Build Power, Win Justice 2024!
The SEIU-West Political Action & Education Department is pleased to invite members to apply to attend Build Power, Win Justice. This two-day conference will take place at SEIU-West in Saskatoon on March 19th and 20th, 2024. Interested members can apply by completing this application form.
Notice to Members in the Education Sector - Re: STF Strike
January 12, 2024
Good afternoon,
As you may have heard, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has announced that its members across Saskatchewan will be conducting a one-day strike on Tuesday, January 16th.
SEIU-West Education Support Staff Stands with the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (the STF) has been bargaining with the Government and Trustee bargaining committee. They have reached an impasse and are unable to make any progress. The STF has notified their members that they will be holding a vote on sanctions against their employer.
Convention 2023: Constitutional Amendments
The following Constitutional Amendments were debated, voted on, and passed during Convention:
National Medical Laboratory Week Profile- Joe
We want to feature yet another SEIU-West Front Line Hero this National Medical Laboratory Week (April 26 - May 2, 2020).
Joe is a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) at the Humboldt District Health Complex.
“The lab is a busy place to work, it runs 24/7 so there’s always someone on call after hours,” said Joe.
Joe and his fellow MLTs are performing some of the most critical work during this pandemic including specimen collection and pre-analytical specimen handling/processing.
Their efforts ensure that people are tested in a timely manner so the virus can be identified and a course of treatment can be followed.
The front line heroes in our Medical Labs can detect, prevent, and manage physiological and pathological conditions in patients, clients, and residents so they can be treated effectively.
In the midst of the additional work related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe and his coworkers are maintaining current testing on all patients.
We are proud to celebrate the health care heroes like Joe that make up the team in Medical Laboratories.
President's Message: Medical Laboratory Technologist Week
Whether it’s the skill and knowledge of testing for HIV, the seasonal flu, cancer or COVID-19, our Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) continually step up to the challenge of providing timely diagnostic information for the whole health care team but especially in light of the public health challenges we currently face.
This week marks a celebration and acknowledgement of the work of an incredibly diverse group of professionals that provide education, experience and knowledge to the whole health care team. They work as partners with doctors and other health care professionals, to provide them with the tools they need to make accurate and timely diagnosis.
Every day that we work in our health system is unique and challenging. We strive to bring our best skills to the table... during a pandemic, that work in a lab is even more important because of the public health impact. Behind the scenes or at the lab bench, Medical Laboratory Technologists keep their knowledge at the cutting edge and their skills sharp to keep all of us safe.
On behalf of SEIU-West, I thank our MLT’s for their incredible knowledge, skills and abilities.
National Medical Laboratory Week Profile- Tanya
Letter to the Premier- Valerie Francais
To the Honorable Premier of Saskatchewan:
Premier Moe, please allow me to tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised here in Saskatchewan. My Great-Grandfather settled in this province back in 1904, and I am the 4th of 6 generations living here on the Prairies. For nearly 20 years, I have worked as a Continuing Care Assistant, with the past 2 of them being at one of the three hospitals in Saskatoon.
It is a profession that has given me the ability to care for people from different walks of life with compassion, empathy and without judgement. I give everything I have to help improve the quality of life for so many individuals, sometimes as a thankless job, but also as one that I find to be very rewarding. COVID -19 has turned everything upside down.
I love my job. Its challenges, the people I meet… The people I work with… let me tell you, they are absolutely the best. We support each other. We care about one another. And let me tell you how heartbreaking it was for me, that I could not hug any of them after returning from a bereavement leave, to attend my mother’s funeral back in March.
I have never had the time to properly grieve her passing. I think about those who I work with that are on compassionate leave and wonder how they are coping, not being able to work so that they can be with their ailing parents. I loved the idea of coming to work, knowing that today was not going to be the same as yesterday. I welcomed the challenge to face each new day and what it had to throw my way. COVID-19 changed all that.
Now, not knowing what is in store when I walk through the screening process is like walking into a lion’s den. But I am there to work as a team player, working alongside my nurses, manager and educators to implement and plan new strategies, procedures and practices that will ensure the health and safety of all those patients who are vulnerable, as well as ensuring that the staffs are protected to the best of our ability.
At times I feel like a specimen under a microscope as support staff watch and scrutinize as I donn and doff PPE. But I know they are there to make sure we as staff are following the procedures necessary to optimize infection control measures. Sometimes I wonder if the pain I feel in my chest is just my allergies flaring up, or if it is a symptom of the virus. So off I go to check my temp, as self-monitoring is drilled into my head constantly.
No other symptoms present, so I chalk it all up to the level of stress and anxiety that I feel when individuals affected with COVID-19 come for their scheduled treatments.
At the end of my 12-hour shift, and I remove my mandatory face mask for the final time, after changing it several times throughout the day, it is like a cool breeze hitting my skin. I change my clothes before leaving and climb into my vehicle to go straight home. No stopping at the store, no stopping for a bite to eat… straight home. Through the door and straight for the bathroom where I strip and climb into the shower.
No amount of water can wash the grime, the violation that COVID-19 leaves on my skin. No amount of soap makes me feel clean. No hello to my husband. My dog sits outside the bathroom door and whines because he wants me to play with him. But safety comes first. I forgot what it feels like to sleep in the same bed as my husband, because social distancing has taken on a more heightened level because of where I work.
I miss hugging my grandson, and the last time I had to spend with him was just before the schools closed down. That happened immediately following my mother’s funeral. I can’t help but wonder over the past few weeks if he has been keeping up with his school work online. I miss seeing him, talking to him face to face, and seeing how much he has grown.
I guess what I am trying to get at is that there have been countless sacrifices I, along with so many healthcare workers have made in order to help flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19. And while you go forth to re-open this province through the various phases outlined, there will be a countless number of healthcare employees who will be making the sacrifices of keeping our hospitals, care homes and other healthcare facilities operational under the strictest of infection control practices.
Our hands will continue to be chapped, cracked and raw from the heightened task of thorough handwashing measures.
We will continue to practice an increased sense of social distancing out of fear of bringing our families and friends in contact with this virus. We will continue to show up for work under increased levels of stress, anxiety and uncertainty.
We will continue our fight and commitment to help flatten the curve. We will continue to feel the affects of COVID-19 long after all the restrictions of Phase 5 of your “Let’s reopen Saskatchewan” plan has been lifted. We will continue to make Saskatchewan one of the greatest places on Earth to live and work.
With all due respect, Mr. Premier, as you lay your head to pillow tonight, alongside your wife, please think of us, your driving force in stopping COVID-19. We are the employees represented under the SEIU-West Union, who have worked without a contract for the past 3 years.
As my husband now returns to work after his temporary lay off, please remember that I, along with my union brothers and sisters, have not received a pay increase in the past 4 years.
Your bargaining committee proposed for us to take a 3.5% roll back on top of things. Please note the added stress of having my husband home for an indefinite period of time, and having us put into a situation where we were forced to make budget cuts and reduction in spending.
Eating Mac and Cheese for supper became a staple in our home. Please think of those who have put themselves up in a hotel room, instead of going home to their families. So I implore you to please encourage your bargaining committee to consider returning to the bargaining table to negotiate for a fair and just collective agreement.
We put our lives on hold for so many others. We are what makes this province great. Treat us fairly for all that we do in the name of humanity, in the name of compassion.
Sincerely, an employee of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, a member of SEIU-West, a resident in the Province of Saskatchewan, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother,
Valerie Francais.
Letter to the Premier- Lisa Zunti
Dear Premier Moe,
I am a LPN health care provider at an urban hospital – I would like to hear from you whether you truly recognize the valued efforts of health care workers. It appears in other provinces members of the health care team are receiving shows of appreciation through added premiums, bonuses or wage increases.
My last wage increase was April 1, 2016. I know that you and other MLAs have received approximately 4% salary increases in the last 2 years so as to keep up with inflation. Did you know that health care workers have to manage inflation on stagnant rates of pay?
I understand (from my union) that we have been unable to get any reasonable offer from SAHO in the last year. So what is your government prepared to do to retain health care workers in the middle of a pandemic when we so badly need front line workers?
Thanks for your reply.
Lisa Zunti
Media Release: Reopen Sask Means Added Risk for Health Workers
For Immediate Release, April 24, 2020
Saskatoon – SEIU-West leaders and members are put off by Premier Moe’s announcement yesterday of the plan to re-open Saskatchewan. The potential increase in COVID-19 cases as a result of lifting restrictions presents a serious risk to Saskatchewan’s front line health care providers, who have been working hard to provide care for patients, clients and residents during the pandemic.
President's Message: Day of Mourning and Occupational Health & Safety Week
Letter to the Premier- Dennel Pickering
Dear Mr Premier,
I'm one of all the others you reference, after you list doctors and nurses specifically. I work front line in healthcare, as a continuing care assistant. I'm in a less controlled environment than long term care; I work in homecare. The unease of going to work, not sure if you're a carrier about to infect your clients has been stressful, at best. While I struggle to breathe through masks now, I'm so very grateful that our union has pushed for masks and gowns (PPE) and the employer has finally provided them.
I've been more interested in our bargaining process than watching the president of the United States, which, like a bad horror movie, you just can't not watch. I saw you offer us a wage reduction in the sweetest way. You told us that we get to pick what we want to give up to balance your books. Kind of like asking which finger you wanted us to chop off. We were adamant that we didn't want to give back anything that we bargained for over decades of contracts, but rather, we wanted a wage increase that would allow us to pay our bills. I'm sure you know the cost of living keeps increasing, and that's why you tied MLA wage increases to cost of living increases.
I'm used to not being the favorite child. So, I wasn't expecting you to all of a sudden give us giant wage increases that you gave the RNs just as soon as you got into power. Don't get me wrong, they work hard and deserved the wage increases. But, Mr Premier, you've acknowledged that we work hard too. So I ask you why it's been 4 years without a raise? And please don't answer with a response like, the other unions got their raise but you voted against it. You bet I did. 0 0 1 2 2 is barely a raise, especially when you think about our low wages to begin with. If you offered me 2 percent of your wage, I'd gladly take it. 2 percent of my wage after 20 years in the job is 46.34 cents.
I don't even want us to get danger pay/hazard pay. That implies you are paying for us to work unsafely and risk lives. I want doctors and nurses and "all the others in healthcare" to work safely to provide the best possible care for our seniors and our most vulnerable in society. I want to provide skilled care safely for them and safely for us. I also want to be paid reasonable wages permanently. I want to be valued by my government, the one that says we are doing a great job in this global pandemic to come to work every day and walk into the unknown.
Why, Mr Premier, do you keep telling us you value us but won't put money where your mouth is?
We are scared. Every damned day. But we show up. We provide care. We comfort those around us that are scared. We are here asking you to value us the way our patients, residents, and clients and their families do.
Respectfully,
Dennel Pickering
Letter to the Premier- Martin Been
Mr. Premier
Let me start by saying that I am proud to call myself a member of the health care team. I wear my pride on my shirt as a reminder that I do this for the public which I serve.
At the same time, I am ashamed to call myself a health care worker, based strictly on how we’ve been devalued by your government.
Historically the mere mention of someone working in health care, brought responses of interest on how to acquire various professions in the field. One could earn a fair living with a decent wage then. There was a sense of respect for all that we did.
Now the mention of working in health care doesn’t draw the attraction it once did. The decent wage has fallen victim to affordability.
I watched, with interest how your Party suggested health care workers should take a 3.5% wage cut, citing that if MLA’s could do so, why couldn’t healthcare workers? I point out to you, Mr. Premier that the 3.5% wage cut your government took for one year, kept all of you in the $100,000/year club. Never was it posed that the 3.5% cut put to health care workers would have an expiry date of one year, plus such a 3.5% cut would throw me into a lower tax bracket which if I may point out hardly seems fair.
Health care workers have been without a contract since April of 2017. The latest offer which starts with not one, but two years of 0 increase, is beyond comprehension.
The Covid 19 pandemic has brought out both the best and worst. Long fought for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) was finally granted as the best tool to use in keeping frontline workers safe. To accomplish this, however, the downgrading of previous conditions health care workers had normally safeguarded against through use of PPE occurred.
You Mr. Premier, have repeatedly stated throughout this pandemic that health care workers are essential...unfortunately, the sense of pride and acknowledgment that goes along with this designation, does not pay the bills. I am hoping you can find a way to demonstrate to health care workers that we are truly valued.
Thank you for your earliest reply,
Martin Been
Letter to the Premier- Brenda Berry
To Premier Moe,
I watched the news on April 22, 2020 at 6:00pm and was disappointed in your address to the province.
As Premier, you are always thanking the doctors and registered nurses, but as a Continuing Care Assistant who works in a hospital and a long term care home, I provide hands on care to our patients, residents, and clients. I am responsible for dressing, feeding, bathing, medications, lifting, repositioning, and reporting. As a part of the health care team, I know we are a very caring and compassionate group of people. During this pandemic we are the only people our residents see and we try to be as positive and uplifting as we can, but they are often lonely and unable to comprehend why their loved ones have stopped coming to see them. We are their connection to the outside world.
The Environmental Service Workers do amazing work performing enhanced cleaning to ensure our facilities do not harbour or transmit any viruses but in a health care setting, it is very difficult going to work each day, always unsure whether I’ll contract COVID-19 or take it home to my family.
I am disappointed that I have not had a pay increase since April 1, 2016. Meanwhile, my government legislates pay increases for themselves regularly, and at a level that is more than what you offered to us. You asked us to take a 3.5% rollback, and now we’re being offered two years of zeroes and 1%, 2%, and 2% over 5 years. That's 5% over five years, but MLAs have always received larger increases (not to mention your much higher salary).
I continue to go to work and provide quality care to our patients, residents and clients in this uncertain time. I would really appreciate the government providing the finances required for SAHO to get back to the bargaining table and bring a decent proposal that myself and fellow health care providers can accept. After all, we are the backbone of the frontline in healthcare.
Sincerely,
Brenda Berry
Letter to the Health Minister- Cheryl Wilker
Dear Health Minister,
Now do you agree that front line works are a very important to Health Care and to this province? Without us, you would not be able to flatten the curve for COVID-19.
The government has been offering funding to many sectors to keep the economy going, but are you going to fund a wage increase to the frontline health care workers? We are risking our lives while also stressing over the chance of bringing the virus home to our families and risking their health as well.
I’m not a RN or a Doctor - I am Continuing Care Assistant and my wellbeing and my family’s is just as important as any healthcare employee that is providing care during COVID-19. I’m working in a high risk environment and wear protective gear so I don’t get infected with COVID-19 as well.
We receive a thank you from news media, the people in our community, and from the families of our clients for keeping their loved ones safe. The one person who should be acknowledging us is basically saying “no we are not important” and our wellbeing is less important.
When you express a thank you to frontlines health care workers to the press, it’s very upsetting that you are not expressing a thank you to all front line workers.
I feel we all should be treated the same. All employees that are providing care during this pandemic should be treated the same as we are all deemed essential services. I hope to hear a response.
Thank you,
Cheryl Wilker
Linen Worker Appreciation Week Profile- Connie
For the week of April 19 – 25, SEIU-West is proud to celebrate Linen Worker Appreciation Week!
In health care facilities, Linen Workers provide laundry-related services to all departments and facilities for clients, patients, residents and staff.
For this weeks’ celebration, we’re shining the spotlight on Connie, a Laundry Service worker at Parkridge Centre in Saskatoon.
“Every day brings something different, but we make sure that the residents’ laundry is clean and returned within two days,” Connie says.
“We also make sure that staff have the insulation gowns that they need. Which is really important right now,” she continues. “As a safety measure we now have to wear masks throughout the building.
“What I love most about my job is the interaction with the residents.
“The current pandemic situation makes it really sad because for safety reasons we can no longer have the level of interaction we used to have with the residents,” Connie said. “That’s really tough, because it’s hard for her and it’s difficult for me because she doesn’t totally understand why I have to keep my distance.”
Linen workers are an essential part in the fight against COVID-19 and we should take this week to appreciate everything they do.
We are proud to celebrate the health care heroes that are Linen Workers!