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!
Each February, SEIU-West members across this province demonstrate their willingness to tackle workplace bullying by participating in Pink Shirt Day.
Pink Shirt Day began after a young student was bullied for wearing pink to school so the next day, hundreds of students came to school wearing pink as an act of solidarity to stand against bullying. From there, Pink Shirt Day has grown International fame.
At SEIU-West, we are amazed at the level of participation each year, and we hope to see it grow in 2019!
This year is extra special as the SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) has purchased a number of pink shirts with their YWC logo on the sleeve – the reason for their involvement is to support the message that we are all on the same team no matter our age, race, creed, gender or any other variable. You may be one of the lucky members to receive one of the YWC’s limited edition shirts!
So on February 27, Pink Shirt Day, we ask that you wear a SEIU-West pink shirt or a pink shirt of your own. By sending us a photo of you and your coworkers wearing pink, you’ll be entered to win a department pizza party!
How to enter: To request pink shirts, email [email protected] (2019 shirts are in limited supply, so be sure to request early!) Then on February 27, take a picture of you and your coworkers wearing pink shirts by emailing [email protected] or by posting to our Facebook page.
February is recognized as Black History Month – its history was rooted in the aim of countering unfair condemnation by acknowledging the accomplishments and contributions made by Black people. In the labour movement we’ve seen a great deal of leadership around diversity, equality, and anti-racism, particularly led by Black people, like the historic labour leader A Phillip Randolph. Randolph became the leader of the first African-American labour union and in the 1940s he and 100,000 black job seekers ensured an executive order that ended race, colour, creed and national origin bias in the hiring of workers in the deferral government – in 1955, Randolph was elected AFL-CIO Vice President.
In Canada, Stanley Grizzle was elected President of his union local in the 1940s, and pushed the Canadian Pacific Railway to open management positions to Black people – he was also a leader in Canada’s civil rights movement in the 1950s – in 1960, Grizzle worked for the Ontario Labour Relations Board and in 1978, he was appointed a Citizenship Judge, a first for an African Canadian.
Today we have many black labour leaders, including our current Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Secretary Treasurer, Marie Clarke Walker. She is the first-ever racialized woman to serve in this position. She is very active in the social justice community and currently serves as an executive member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
Black History Month also serves as a reminder and opportunity to act on the harmful impacts of racism both past and present, so that communities can progress with respect and justice.
SEIU-West stands against any form of racism, and we are proud of our union’s efforts in working with Black Lives Matters across borders, particularly SEIU Rise – a development program for young members in Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US – whose top priority is racial justice.
Together, we must use our knowledge, words, and actions to stand up against racism and hate. For more information on confronting racism, visit our post about confronting discrimination here.
SEIU-West encourages you to join in the Black History Month celebrations – you can see various activities throughout the province on the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan website here.
SEIU-West is proud to join the celebrations of National Therapeutic Recreation Month in February! Our members who work as therapeutic Recreation Coordinators and Recreation Workers are an essential piece of the health care team. Their work ensures residents, patients, and clients are able to reach their full potential and members like John, love what they do.
John, a therapeutic Recreation Coordinator at Parkside Extendicare, loves providing the residents a great quality of care and being able to engage in their daily lives. As a Recreation Coordinator, John provides programming that benefits the residents’ emotional, physical, spiritual, and social aspects of their daily lives. He particularly appreciates seeing the smiles on residents’ faces.
In recognition of National Therapeutic Recreation Month, SEIU-Wests asks that you tell us why Therapeutic Recreation is important to you. Let us know by emailing Catherine.Gendron@seiuwest by February 28, 2019 for your chance to win a prize from a selection of gift cards!
Did you know that legally, your employer needs to provide you with your T4 slips on or before the last day of February following the calendar year to which the slips apply.
So, you should receive your 2018 T4 on or before Thursday, February 28, 2019.
This year, for employees of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the Employer is providing copies of T4s in electronic format through Gateway Online and will not be automatically sending out paper copies.
If you are expecting a 2018 T4 from the SHA and do not want to or cannot use the gateway online system, you can request a paper copy from your manager.
Make your request in writing and date it (the Employer may have a form for this) and then give it to your manager.
After receiving a request, the Employer must ensure that it provides two copies of the T4 slip, in paper format, to the employee in person or by mail.
For more information on T4s visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/payroll/completing-filing-information-returns/t4-information-employers/t4-slip/distribute-your-t4-slips.html
If you have questions related to this topic or your collective agreement, contact your Member Resource Centre (MRC) at 1-888-999-7348 ext. 2298.
The Education Committee will be sponsoring up to eight (8) delegates to attend the SFL/CLC Spring School being held at the Temple Gardens Hotel and Spa on May 6-10, 2019. The Committee will cover registration costs, lost wages, travel costs and meal expenses for those who are selected to attend.
The deadline to apply has now passed.
The SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) understands that everyone knows someone who lives with or is affected by mental illness. The YWC also recognizes it is important to talk about mental health in order to break down the stigma around mental illness. That’s why they’re supporting the Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 30. This initiative is meant to spark a public conversation about mental illness, and encourage funding for mental health services.
In recognition of Bell Let’s Talk Day, the YWC is launching a contest in order to help spread awareness around mental health. The YWC wants to support the hardworking members of SEIU-West and knows many people find it good for their mental health to go relax and see a movie – so by entering you could win a $50 gift card to your local movie theatre!
How to enter: take a picture of yourself with a sign talking about mental health to support Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 30, then send the picture to [email protected]. The picture could be about your experiences with mental health, what mental health means to you, what services we need, or a supportive message – it’s up to you! To start us off, we have Brittney, YWC member, demonstrating that mental illness is not something to be ashamed of.
Together we can stop the stigma and increase support for strong mental health services!
Please send your pictures to [email protected] on Wednesday, January 30.
What happens when workers come together to improve their workplace environment and communities? They see big wins! This week, members at Variety Place just voted in favour of a 4.5% general wage increase – this agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2018. Direct Care Workers at Variety Place are continuing to bargain for subsequent years and are working together to ensure their work is valued. They know that they deserve fair wages and when we achieve our goals, we raise the floor for all workers – way to go!
Are you a member of your facility's Occupational Health Committee (OHC)?
If so, we encourage you to apply for our new SEIU-West course, Occupational Health and Safety: Knowledge to Action!
This course is designed for SEIU-West (OHC) members and alternates. The participants will leave with a better understanding of their role on the OHC and will be prepared to address issues such as workload, stress, harassment and mental health at the OHC level. The deadline to apply is February 6, 2019! This deadline has now passed.
Every year, Saskatchewan communities celebrate Family Literacy Day on January 27, and in recognition, SEIU-West is excited to announce our annual Family Literacy Day Contest!
We know SEIU-West members value the power of books because they are an opportunity for us to sit back and relax, learn something new, or take our imagination to places we’ve never been.
This Family Literacy Day, we want to share our members’ favourite books with each other in order to expand our ‘to-read’ lists for 2019!
So for this year’s contest, we want to know: what was your favourite book you read in 2018 and why?
To qualify, share your favourite 2018 read with us by January 30, 2019.
Email [email protected] or post your top 2018 book to our Facebook page.
All entries will be entered into a draw – if selected, you could win a gift card to a local restaurant, performance, and/or movies tickets.
Who knows, your top 2018 book might become someone’s top 2019 read? We’ll be posting entries on our Facebook page.
In recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8, SEIU-West is participating in the Labour & United Way Partnership’s 3rd Annual Tampon Tuesday collection drive.
Menstrual products are a necessity, but they’re also expensive – this creates barriers for many women to access what should be a basic right. Women and girls who live in poverty often have to choose between food or feminine hygiene products. For homeless women it is even worse.
While there are on-going campaigns to ensure free access to menstrual products in Canada, we’re not there yet. That’s why each SEIU-West office is participating in Tampon Tuesday, a collection drive that provides SEIU-West members the opportunity to collect and support the provision of menstrual products to women in need.
WHEN: All SEIU-West Offices will be collecting products until March 15, 2019.
WHERE:
Saskatoon Drop-Off Location (items will be donated to the United Way Saskatoon and Area for distribution):
#200 – 747 46th Street West
Open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
Moose Jaw Drop-Off Location (items will be donated to a local women’s shelter):
39 Athabasca Street West
Open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
Swift Current Drop-Off Location (items will be donated to a local women’s shelter):
333 Central Avenue North
Open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
You can also take up your own workplace tampon collection drive! Click to download the Collection Drive Registration form.
If you’re in Saskatoon, there is a special Tampon Tuesday event on March 12 as well – hope you can make it! Let’s end the stigma and work together to ensure access to menstrual products for all women.
Click here for a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update – No. 11
January 21, 2019
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
The provider unions, SEIU-West, CUPE, and SGEU have concluded a letter of understanding (LOU) with SAHO and the employer regarding the education factor in the JJE plan.
The LOU sets out that, when there is information available about changes to the education required for a job classification; the unions, SAHO, and the employer, will jointly assess the changes. If the key work activities, duties, responsibilities and/or qualifications have not changed, the education factor rating for the JJE plan job classification will not change.
In order for there to be a change to the education factor rating for the JJE plan job classification, another factor rating, such as decision making, impact of action, sensory demand, etc. would have to change as well.
If the unions, SAHO, and the employer cannot agree on the education factor assessment, there will be an independent review of the education factor rating by third party adjudicator.
This new education factor review process will apply to all new job classifications created with the same educational requirement as existing classifications.
We encourage you to contact the MRC at 1-888-999-7348 ext. 2298 to ask any further questions. Please watch for updates on www.SEIUWEST.ca. You can also follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds.
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; Simone Corriveau; 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
Communication… it’s key to explaining yourself; being responsible for your actions; and working to do better for everyone. Whether you are a shop steward, the Premier of a province, or a union President, we all have a responsibility to communicate as effectively as possible. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with our members, shop stewards, staff, and even our Minister of Health and the message that keeps rising to the top is how we need to communicate better.
Our members have been earnest in their effort to communicate with their Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) about concerns with funding in the education sector; short staffing in the health care sector; a lack of accountability in the Community-Based Organization (CBO) sector… and always, bargaining! The public deserves quality services that their taxes pay for. And the people who provide those services deserve a decent wage… there’s nothing controversial about that.
But I don’t think that the politicians have been very forthright or honest in their responses. Recently, our Minister of Health said publicly – in the news – that funding in long-term care has been increased by 40%... since when?! Since the 1980’s? Let’s be frank, we haven’t felt a real increase in funding for public sector services for a very long time. It’s actually quite demoralizing that our Minister of Health makes this kind of public statement when those who provide hands-on care report unsafe staffing levels in long-term care on a chronic basis. Previously, our Minister of Finance has reported to media that the 3.5% cuts were off the bargaining table for all public sector workers… but who else did she tell?! Because there are plenty of bargaining tables where the cuts are
still a living proposal!
We have called for public audits in the CBO sector to ensure that the funding is actually reaching the front line for staff and clients… but the Minister of Social Services didn’t even respond… all we have heard are crickets! For a government that keeps talking about consulting, transparency, and accountability, it’s interesting that they have such a checkered record.
We should all be accountable – not just at election times. And we need to recognize that the key to building our workplace, our union, and our province is creating a space where more people can be heard; where we can answer questions with honesty, not political spin; and where we can make sure that we are actually lifting up the people of this province… not picking winners and losers.
Sometimes we’re moving so fast that we don’t take the time to communicate – to explain – to consult – to actively listen – effectively... and it’s frustrating! So maybe, the first step in changing our communications is to start telling the truth… we can do better.