The Annual Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) Summer Camp will be held on August 9 -15 at Shekinah Retreat Centre, near Waldheim.
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BBQ Requests 2025
Are you a unit executive for your facility? Are you looking for ways to engage with your union and your coworkers? Are you a fan of BBQ lunches?
Pride 2025!
June is Pride Month, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community, while acknowledging the historical and ongoing violence and discrimination faced by this community.
3SHealth: Employee and Spousal Optional Life Insurance
3sHealth offers optional employee and spousal life insurance to eligible SEIU-West members. Enrolment is open for Employee Optional Life Insurance and Spousal Optional Life Insurance from May 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025.
Have Your Say! SEIU Climate Survey
In 2024, Canada experienced yet another record-breaking. year of extreme weather events driven by climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and floods. Scientists project an increase in these events in the coming years.
N/52nds Overpayment
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
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!
Win of the Week! November 11-17
It’s another great win this week after a SEIU-West member was reinstated with back pay!
Under the SAHO collective agreement, new hires are on probation for 480 hours. Management must tell them if their work is not meeting standards, and give them a chance to improve.
Recently, a member who works in health care was terminated for “unsuitability” after working 467 hours. The Employer didn’t tell the member why they were unsuitable or give them a chance to respond. SEIU-West filed a grievance.
On November 11 the arbitration panel ordered management to reinstate our member, pay them lost wages, and extend their probation by 320 hours.
Congratulations to our member and the SEIU-West team!
Media Release: Long-Term Care Investment Claims Questioned
For Immediate Release - November 14, 2018
Saskatoon – According to a recent media report, our Saskatchewan Minister of Health, the Honourable Jim Reiter is claiming that the SaskParty government has increased funding to Long-Term Care (LTC) by over 40%.
Win of the Week! November 4-10
This week, we reached an agreement with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) regarding Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) licensing requirements. This agreement provided our members with options if they are LPNs who have not completed the educational requirements of the Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (SALPN) to maintain their license in 2019. Prior to this agreement being reached, the employer had indicated that these members would be terminated with no available options given that licensing is a requirement to work in a LPN position.
To see the full Memorandum of Agreement, click here. And if you have any questions, please call the Member Resource Centre (MRC) at 1.888.999.7348 ext. 2298.
SEIU-West is proud to reach this agreement with the SHA alongside its health care coalition of unions – when we work together, we win together!
Celebrate Community Worker Appreciation Day!
SEIU-West is thrilled to celebrate Community Worker Appreciation Day on November 6, 2018! Community Workers work in Community Based Organizations (CBO), an immensely valuable sector that supports our most vulnerable populations. Our members who work in CBOs often work in group home settings where they’re able to improve the lives of those in need – people with addictions, those who cannot live independently, children in crisis, to name a few.
CBO workers are compassionate people who work in extremely stressful situations, but gain so much from the people they work with. Strong relationships are formed between CBO workers and those they care for, and we couldn’t be more proud of the people they are.
SEIU-West is particularly excited about this year’s Community Worker Appreciation Day as our Saskatoon Office is hosting the CBO province-wide conference! There will be CBO workers joining us from not only SEIU-West, but also from SGEU and CUPE. In recognition of this exciting conference and our Appreciation Day, we ask that you participate in our CBO Worker contest!
Simply visit our CBO coalition website, www.saskpeoplewhocare.org and tell us about a CBO worker from the website. For bonus points, please share the website on your social media! It is vital that we share the work of those who contribute so much to our communities – so please, participate today! Tell us about a CBO worker/whether you shared the website online by emailing [email protected] by November 13, 2018.
It’s Medical Radiation Technologist (MRT) Week!
MRT Week is November 4-10, and SEIU-West is proud to celebrate the vital role of MRTs in our health care team!
MRT’s work with ever-changing radiation technology that has helped patients around the world. With the use of medical imaging and treatment technologies, MRTs are able to identify and assist in the finding of causes, effects, and treatment of disease.
Due to advancements in medical radiation technology, MRTs must be current and innovate in their skillset – they must also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills as they work closely with patients. With the involvement of MRTs, our health care team can provide the best quality care for the members of our communities.
In recognition of their valued work, SEIU-West invites you to participate in the MRT Week Contest! We ask that you tell us – why MRTs are vital to the health care team? Email [email protected] with your answer, and you’ll be entered to win!
Contest Deadline: November 12, 2018
Win of the Week! October 28-November 3
SEIU-West members from across Saskatchewan joined the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) Convention last week, and SEIU-West is so proud to announce that many of our members were SFL first-time speakers! It takes a lot of courage to be able to speak in front of hundreds of people, but our members knew they had the support of their Purple family as well as the vast Saskatchewan labour movement. These members spoke passionately on an array of topics, such as the need for paid leave for domestic violence and the importance of public services. We are so proud of these members and love to see our members’ confidence grow! A major win this week!
UFCW Co-op Solidarity Contest!
UFCW members who work at Co-op in Saskatoon are on strike, and SEIU-West stands behind them every step of the way.
Workers at Co-op are saying ‘NO!’ to two-tiered wages. Two-tiered wages are an unfair and divisive employer tactic that devalues newer employees to Co-op – it is completely out of the question pay a different wage to workers doing the exact same job – but that is what Co-op is trying to do.
The Co-op has a long history in Saskatchewan – the people in our communities are part-owners of this organization and from that, we expect more. The Co-op Board of Directors should know better – they are meant to represent our communities who are looking for good, secure, and non-discriminatory jobs. We do not want to see new employees punished, and we do not want to see employers who exploit their staff every chance they get.
As a demonstration of our solidarity, SEIU-West is proud to launch our UFCW Co-op Solidarity Contest!
Tell us: what values draw you to support Co-op and how are they being taken away during the UFCW strike for fairness? Email [email protected] to enter!
BONUS: take a selfie of you at a UFCW picket line and send to [email protected] by December 31, 2018! We have SEIU-West flags at each of our union offices, so please bring one along as well as a friend (or two!)
Enter by December 31, 2018 for your chance to win a gift card and SEIU-West swag!
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Win of the Week! October 21-27
A member with an illness was denied disability coverage. Yet this week, the Employer agreed to re-open their file due to the efforts of this member and their union. SEIU-West helped determine that this member had every right to be accepted in their disability claim; together, we will work to ensure the member’s case is won!
Festival of Trees Saskatoon: Decorate Our SEIU-West Tree!
SEIU-West is excited to be back at the Festival of Trees in Saskatoon this year! Thousands of visitors to the Festival are delighted when they arrive to see a collection of beautifully decorated trees, including our very own SEIU-West tree!
SEIU-West is especially proud to support this popular event as proceeds will benefit Saskatoon City Hospital’s Medical Imaging Department with an upgraded Fluoroscopy Suite. They’ll also replace the department’s aging portable x-ray unit with digital technology. Having the newest and best technology means clearer imaging, faster diagnoses, more efficient treatments, and improved safety. 
As is the Purple way, we want to support this great cause with the use of a contest! We know decorating a tree is a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer – that’s why we’re holding a contest to determine who will be our SEIU-West Tree Decorating Team! If your team wins, you’ll all be invited to join the decorating day at the Western Development Museum on November 22 helping to make our union’s tree, “I’m Dreaming of a Purple Christmas”, become a reality! All your lost wages and expenses will be covered by SEIU-West! Decorations will also be provided.
How to enter?
- Teams can be no more than 2-4 people, and all team members must work at the same facility.
- As a team, we ask that you answer the following questions:
- Why does your team think SEIU-West is the best union in Saskatchewan?
- How does your team build solidarity and Purple Pride at your workplace?
- Send your team answers to [email protected]
Deadline?
The deadline to enter is November 12.
Bonus!
The winning team will not only get to decorate the tree, but they’ll also win the SEIU-West decorated tree that will be on display at the Festival of Trees to showcase at their workplace!
Joint Bargaining Update: Coalition Unions continue to press SAHO for fair contract October
October 22, 2018
Dear Health Care Member:
Your SEIU-West, CUPE and SGEU bargaining committees met with SAHO in Saskatoon on October 18 and 19 to resume bargaining a fair and equitable collective agreement for all of our members.
We believe two outstanding issues remain: monetary and the Extended Health and Enhanced Dental Plan.
Young Workers Present: Shining A Light On…Mental Health
Shining A Light On…Mental Health
By Brittney Servetnyk, Young Worker Committee Member and CMHA Saskatoon Branch
The SEIU-West Young Workers Committee (YWC) is aiming to shine a light on issues that often get pushed into the shadows – in the last installment, the YWC shone a light on service animals and people with disabilities – in this article, the YWC interviewed staff at the Canadian Mental Health Association who share their insight on mental health, stigma, and suicide as we recognize September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Q: Why is there a stigma with mental health? How does it affect a person with mental health?
A: There is stigma associated with mental health problems because of a lack of understanding and information. Society perceives individuals with mental health problems in a negative manner as a result of the common misconceptions that are often portrayed in the media.
Stigma leaves an individual feeling unable to talk about what they are experiencing because of overwhelming shame, embarrassment, and fear of being rejected. These assumptions made about individual’s living with a mental health problem restrict them from opportunities including basic needs such as housing, nutrition, socialization, financial stability and participating in further education and/or the workforce.
Q: How can mental health education help break the stigma?
A: Mental Health education allows us to change the perceptions and assumptions made about individuals experiencing mental health problems. It assists in the normalization of mental health so that individuals who are struggling feel like they can talk about it and gain the support they need. It is important to understand and know how to address mental health so that we can support others as well as take care of our own mental health needs.
Q: Where can a person reach out for help?
A: If an individual believes they are struggling with their mental health their first step could be to talk to their family doctor, to explore their symptoms or concerns further. That individual could also ask their doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist who can provide a diagnosis and treatment options. Other options include therapeutic counselling, community support groups, or physical activity. However, anytime an individual has questions about mental health, resources or how to support a loved one they can always contact any Canadian Mental Health Association branch.
Q: Research shows rural and northern communities have higher suicide rates, how do we help address this crisis as a province?
A: It is true that individuals living in rural and northern communities face multiple barriers in accessing mental health services due to their geographical location and as a result are subjected to high rates of isolation. In particular, individuals struggling with mental health problems in rural areas are unable to access psychiatric care, to provide assessment of symptoms and treatment options. An alternative to this in rural areas could be additional training for resources already established within the community. For example, social workers who have the required experience and education can now apply to receive an authorized practice endorsement, which allows them to provide an official diagnosis for individuals experiencing mental health problems. Some other alternatives to addressing mental health in the rural areas could include having multidisciplinary teams, collaborative community networks, peer support and telemedicine.
Q: How can we the YWC and all SEIU-West members help?
A: SEIU-West can help spread awareness by talking about it, implementing healthy workplace strategies and taking the initiative to take care of your own mental health. More specifically, in my experiences in the workplace, I have seen a need for education and training to implement healthy workplaces strategies. Providing adequate training and education options such as Mental Health First Aid or the Psychological Health and Safety Standard for the select staff or support people is essential to best address mental health in the workplace.
SEIU-West is taking action on mental health awareness by incorporating it into our union training sessions such as Unionism in Practice, Duty to Accommodate, Facing Management Level II, our Domestic Violence Workshops and our upcoming OH&S course. We have also sponsored members to attend Mental Health First Aid. For more information, please contact [email protected].