This award has been established to honour Shelly Banks who led by example and served as SEIU-West vice-president from 2008-2015.
Her invaluable and outstanding contributions have made a significant and lasting impact on our members and our union.
Pinned
SEIU-WEST 2025 MEMBERSHIP SATISFACTION & ENGAGEMENT SURVEY
SEIU-WEST 2025 MEMBERSHIP SATISFACTION & ENGAGEMENT SURVEY
Are you an SEIU-West member? We want to hear from you!
SEIU-West is running a 10-minute online survey of its members. It will be open until Monday, March 17th.
Wherever you work, if you’re an SEIU-West member, we would really appreciate your feedback!
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!
Janice Platzke Receives Larry Hubich Lifetime of Service Award
We are so excited to announce that your SEIU-West Treasurer, Janice Platzke, received the Larry Hubich Lifetime of Service Award at the 2024 Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Convention in late October. Congratulations, Janice!
Here's what her nominator had to say about Janice and her years of service:
Celebrate World Population Day – July 11!
Today we celebrate the freedom to choose or not to choose having a family. Family Planning is a Human Right is the theme for the United Nations 2018 World Population Day.
The main focus is to ensure that everyone has access to quality information about reproductive health including but not limited to birth control, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pre- and post-natal care, birthing process, adoption, and other family planning matters.
Win of the Week! July 1–7
Another member in the CBO sector is celebrating a win this week after fighting their arbitrary termination. This member decided they did not want to continue working for this unfair employer. The Union Representative was successful in negotiating a resolve that saw the member resign but receive compensation for their lost time. With bosses like these in the community based organizations, it’s no wonder why we see the turnover we do in the sector. Together, under the Purple banner, SEIU-West members are improving the rights of CBO workers and the quality for care for patients and residents throughout the province.
Purple Gets A New Look!
Purple Gets A New Look!
OH&S Conference Opportunity: Apply Now!
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT: OH&S Conference Opportunity: Deadline Passed
Win of the Week! June 24 – 30
Another Win in the CBO sector!
A termination-eager employer in the CBO sector recently re-learned, through the grievance process, that they require cause to terminate. We congratulate our member for fighting this unjust termination and highlighting the importance of professional front-line staff in this sensitive sector while showing they will not be intimidated from standing up for their negotiated rights!
President's Message: Cape's Corner - Summer 2018
Our Union’s broad membership sees many different challenges, including underfunding of public services, short-staffing, and threats of privatization. We continue to push back against these challenges so that our members can continue to provide quality services to the highest standards of professionalism. How do we push back? With broad-based campaigns that incorporate all of our members and our solidarity within the labour movement.
Joint Bargaining Update: Coalition Unions will not be intimidated by SAHO
June 27, 2018
Your SEIU-West, SGEU, and CUPE bargaining committees resumed bargaining on June 21, continued bargaining through the weekend, and went late into the evening of June 25.
The Unions and SAHO exchanged proposals on extended health and dental plan funding, joint trusteeship process for the benefit plans, and monetary issues related to general wage increases.
The Union Coalition felt momentum building and was hopeful that a tentative agreement would be reached. However, on the evening of June 25, the positive tone at the table quickly turned. SAHO and the Ministry of Health questioned whether your bargaining committees were committed to reaching an agreement. SAHO made comments that the Coalition was delaying the process and splitting hairs. What this translates into for our membership is that we are not willing to sell out our hard-earned collective agreement protections and benefits to get a deal.
We were close to language that would help us to get joint trusteeship of all of our benefits plans; this is incredibly important in order to ensure the health and long-term viability of these plans. It should be noted that joint governance will be a requirement of the Canada Revenue Agency in 2019, and this joint trusteeship will help both our benefit plans and members by significantly reducing plan taxation liabilities.
Your coalition bargaining committee put forward a proposal on a general wage increase that we believe was fair and reasonable. It took into consideration fiscal restraint of the province. But we were told that we hadn’t moved enough! SAHO and the Government of Saskatchewan have offered health providers less than other public sector workers – yet they are demanding concessions.
It is clear that the government wants to end the 100% employer funding commitment for our Extended Health and Enhanced Dental Plan (EHD) plan and push some of the costs onto you. We believe that the Coalition’s unwillingness to agree to rollback the funding to the EHD plan has triggered SAHO and the Government of Saskatchewan to change their mood. SAHO ended the meeting until further notice. There are currently no scheduled bargaining dates. SAHO did not accept our suggestion to access voluntary mediation to assist in concluding a reasonable collective agreement.
It is clear the Government of Saskatchewan is very much involved in this bargaining process. Please continue contacting your MLAs, Minister of Health Jim Reiter, and Minister of Rural and Remote Health Greg Ottenbreit to insist they treat health care providers fairly and with respect.
Jim Reiter – Ministry phone number: 306.787.7345; Constituency Office number: 306.882.4105
Greg Ottenbreit – Ministry phone number: 306.798.9014; Constituency Office number: 306.783.7275
We’ve informed SAHO that we are going to meet with our members to get clear direction. Please watch for notices of upcoming meetings in your area.
In solidarity,
SEIU-West, SGEU, and CUPE
Celebrate Multiculturalism and Canada Day!
On June 27th we celebrate Multiculturalism Day! Canadians have an international reputation for their cultural diversity that brings all people together. We are renowned for having a better understanding and better supports for people representing minority groups in Canada and beyond.
Win of the Week! June 17 – 23
Congratulations to the SEIU-West bargaining team for achieving a renewed agreement for our members at the Saskatchewan Impaired Drivers Treatment Centre (SIDTC). We are pleased that our members have ratified the agreement that has several language improvements and future increases through wage reopeners over the next couple of years.
Thanks to the bargaining team for knowing their members and getting to the finish line with success. We are stronger together!
Join SEIU-West in Recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day – Saskatoon and Regina events!
Joint Bargaining Update from SEIU-West, CUPE, and SGEU: June 19, 2018
Your coalition bargaining committee met with SAHO in Saskatoon during June 13, 14 and 15 to work to achieve a fair collective agreement that treats our members with respect, and does not include the cuts, rollbacks or concessions that the government wants.
We have achieved agreement in principle on a number of items:
- Professional Fees;
- Recruitment and Retention initiatives;
- A moratorium on changes to our bargaining unit structure;
- A process to deal with transition issues with the Saskatchewan Health Authority;
- Workload (for SGEU and SEIU-West); and
- Interpersonal Violence Leave.
Outstanding is agreement on a joint trusteeship process for our benefit plans and a discussion about monetary issues related to a general wage increase.
We continue to work towards maintaining the current language in our CBAs regarding the Extended Health & Enhanced Dental (EH&ED) Plans. We have heard from you loud and clear that the fully funded benefits plan is a valued benefit.
Your bargaining committees value your continued support. In addition to the bargaining process, we are currently faced with Health Authority initiatives, such as IT transitioning to eHealth and the provincial security services review. The parties continue with the joint review process of the Joint Job Evaluation plan. There is a lot happening, and we need to keep focused on these issues – together.
Keep an eye on your union bulletin board, website and Facebook page for how to get involved in these campaigns and how to show your support for your union bargaining committees. We cannot forget that the Government of Saskatchewan is deeply involved in this bargaining process, so please be sure to contact your MLA, Minister of Health Jim Reiter, and Minister of Rural and Remote Health Greg Ottenbreit. Stay focused and stay connected.
In solidarity,
SEIU-West, CUPE and SGEU
Win of the Week! June 10 – 16
SEIU-West has reached another successful tentative agreement in the education sector! Our members at Holy Family School Division will experience wage increases of 1.25-1-1 & 2% over the next four years! They’ll also have 100% of their EFAP paid for by the employer. They reached better language provisions around breaks and accommodations, and also obtained cell phone allowances and updated OH&S language. This agreement will certainly set a standard for workers across the education and public services sector, and we’re proud of the bargaining team for overcoming the pressured rollbacks and freezes – together, we are indeed stronger!