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! This is not job action or a strike, attendance at an info picket is voluntary and takes place on unpaid time, such as a day off or during a break. In addition, it can't take place on the employer's property and we cannot interfere with the flow of people or traffic.
Pinned
President's Message: Christmas 2024
As 2024 winds to a close and the excitement and anticipation of holiday celebrations across many different faiths and cultures ramps up, I wanted to take a moment to share thanks.
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:
MEDIA RELEASE: Support Workers Expand Withdrawal of Service
Support Workers Expand Withdrawal of Service
Win of the Week! April 1-7
SEIU-West developed a new course for members who have never participated in any SEIU-West training before, called Unionism 101. Over the last few weeks, many members in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon joined this one-day training opportunity and we’re happy to report the course received rave reviews! Members highlighted the importance of getting to know the benefits of belonging to SEIU-West, and enjoyed learning about the social justice issues SEIU-West advocates for.
It’s certainly a win when members become engaged in their union, and we’re excited for the next Unionism 101 course in Swift Current next week!
President's Message: Cape's Corner - Spring 2018
Over the course of 2017, hundreds of SEIU-West members reached out to government officials at various levels to share their experiences of the impact of health care funding cuts to their patients, residents, themselves, their families and their communities.
Joint Bargaining Update from SEIU-West, CUPE, & SGEU: March 29, 2018
Your union bargaining committees met this week from Sunday, March 25 to Wednesday, March 28. We continue to remain focused on getting the best agreement possible.
There was a great deal of development work on both sides of the table to review, prepare and respond to proposals. We face many challenges, including grave concerns about short staffing protocols and processes, lack of investment in the provincial health care system, the threat of the -3.5% rollback, and the transition to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). Your bargaining committees are thinking about these and how they impact our members every single day.
There are real bread and butter issues that our members feel passionately about, which we are trying to address through bargaining. These include: recruitment and retention, workload, professional fees, electronic call back, maintaining our Extended Health and Enhanced Dental Plan (EHDP), and creating a joint trusteeship to ensure that the funds of the EHDP are invested for the plan’s long-term access.
We are also looking at long-term goals and strategies that will ease the anxiety of our members and create a sense of stability within the health care system. We are advocating for a formal structure to deal with issues arising from the transition to the SHA; we need to tackle what a provincial health authority means for our members’ ability to bid on jobs, transfer seniority, and maintain their benefits throughout the province.
We hope that the Government of Saskatchewan recognizes that it is health care workers who provide the care, keep the buildings running, and comfort the sick, vulnerable and dying. But health care workers are running on empty, and we need the support and investment from our government to make a difference.
The SEIU-West, CUPE and SGEU bargaining committees want to thank all of you who have written, called or visited your MLA to talk about the work you do and the importance of a fair collective agreement. We are calling on you to continue to reach out to get the message out to the Government of Saskatchewan, which funds health care. Our next bargaining dates are April 5, 6, and 7. So ring those phones, send those emails, and pay a visit to your MLA to tell them health care providers need a raise.
In Solidarity,
Your SEIU-West, SGEU and CUPE bargaining committees
Purple Day: April 5!
Win of the Week! March 25-31
Princess - Continuing Care Assistant at St. Ann's Home
"I enjoy working with the residents to maintain their independence" - Princess.
Win of the Week! March 18-24
SEIU-West, SAHO, and the new Saskatchewan Health Authority have reached an agreement with respect to Medical Care Leave, often a grievance issue.
Medical Care Leave will be calculated on a calendar year, rather than a fiscal year. That has been the practice of payroll for several years, which violated the CBA (collective bargaining agreement). The 16 hours will be available to all employees under the SAHO/SEIU collective agreement, including casuals, and will not be pro-rated. Agreement is effective as of January 1, 2018. Way to go!
Opening our door to promote meaningful dialogue
Opening our door to promote meaningful dialogue
Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan (PAS) Conference
Apply Today! Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan (PAS) Conference
Joint Health Provider Bargaining Update with SEIU-West, CUPE, SGEU: March 16, 2018
Your health care provider coalition met during the week of March 12-16, 2018 in Saskatoon with SAHO. Negotiations had previously broken off at the end of November of 2017 when we were unable to agree to a set of principles that would set us on a path to achieving a collective agreement.
This week’s round marks the beginning of formal coalition bargaining. We are not bargaining individual union items; we are trying to get down to proposals that will conclude a tentative agreement that meets our members’ needs and that our members will accept.
The bargaining committees have been focusing on professional fees; our Extended Health and Dental Plan; a joint trusteeship agreement; workload issues; recruitment and retention; interpersonal violence; a letter of understanding to address a process for transition issues (as we move to the Saskatchewan Health Authority); and a general wage increase. The coalition Unions’ bargaining committees maintain a no cuts, no concession, no rollbacks position.
Unfortunately, the parties were not able to reach agreement this week, but we have scheduled additional dates to continue working towards a resolve to a new collective agreement for each union.
Many of our members have told each union, the transition issues are “big,” covering: seniority; transfer of benefits and various time banks; co-employment; job postings and biddings, among other things. There is a lot of anxiety and tension among members as we move through the Employer’s transition. We want to assure our members that we are working diligently to address those issues as quickly as possible. In the interim, if you have any questions about this process, do not hesitate to call your union for further information. Remember: do not attend a meeting without a union representative present; talk with your union first.
Continue to watch your union bulletin boards, websites and/or Facebook pages for further updates.
Thanks to all of you for your support. Together, we can achieve a fair collective agreement.
In solidarity, on behalf of your SGEU, SEIU-West and CUPE bargaining committees.
President’s Message: SAHO Bargaining and Telephone Town Hall Follow Up – No. 2
Virtual town halls are a really good tool! Your bargaining committee is able to reach as many members as possible in the most time (and cost) efficient way possible. As a quick note, over 1000 members joined our call in the evening of February 21 and over 700 joined our call during the afternoon of February 22. Some members joined us online; some members only joined for about 15 minutes (the length of time of a coffee break?).
Further to our virtual town hall questions, here is the next round of Q and A from our members (click to read the first SAHO Bargaining and Telephone Town Hall Follow Up in this series):
#9: If we don’t luck out with this contract would a rollback be retroactive and what about if someone retires in the meantime? – Terry, location unknown.
We do not agree with any wage rollback. And further to that, we would not allow a rollback to be retroactive. For us, for our members, this is more than a slogan, it’s a fundamental principle that we will defend. Cuts and rollbacks contribute nothing to a progressive society; they do not promote a healthy and safe workplace; and they stop any ability to recruit and retain all of our skilled and professional healthcare workers.
Retirement provisions are based on a member’s best four (4) years…that wouldn’t change.
#10: When talking about this rollback… my husband and I both work for the health regions and my son worked for STC and lost his job… Can the question be asked of our politicians if their family had a reduction in pay to their family income would they survive? – Katherine, Saskatoon.
First, I’m truly sorry your son lost his job with STC. In my opinion, this was a public service that supported rural and remote communities, seniors, and so many more who needed the lift. The parcel service assisted businesses to thrive and helped in the transfer of medicine and lab specimens. No, it wasn’t a money maker, but that isn’t what its purpose was – it was a welcome support to the province everything should not be about making money – sometimes being a public good is the purpose!
That being said, I think you should contact your own MLA, and the Minister of Health, Jim Reiter, and ask that very question. When we’ve talked to the Minister of Health, he states that MLAs, Ministers; the heads of the Crown Corp have all taken a 3.5% cut to their salary. But the base salary for a MLA is $96,000/year… a 3.5% cut brings them down to $93,000/year…I think they’ll be able to pay their power bill! However a 3.5% cut to an average wage of $25/hour is a more direct hit to the pocket book and it is simply not affordable.
#11: Expenses have gone up so much, how can we live with a 3.5% reduction in pay? Will we be getting a fair living wage adjustment? – Tusit, Saskatoon.
Well, the short answer is that we can’t live with that 3.5% reduction… its brutally simple. This 3.5% reduction is to total compensation, so it’s not just wage reductions that are being contemplated, but any initiative that can reduce costs for the employer – and by extension the Government of Saskatchewan.
We are already in an environment where vacant shifts are not replaced and short staffing protocols are used routinely in the workplace. As a result we are running to provide care and services. How can we continue to do that and take a cut of 3.5%? We cannot.
#12: Re: JJE plan review, will continuing education be taken into account? – Kimberley, Saskatoon
Currently, continuing education is not factored into the JJE rating system… but the WHOLE plan will be reviewed to bring it up to date. We will be proposing that continuing education be a consideration in the education factor as a whole when rating jobs.
#13: A question about rollbacks: SaskPower has refused the rollbacks but will take ‘days off’…this has not been settled. Where are we on this? – Kevin, location unknown.
I am not aware that the staff of SaskPower have agreed to take days off – this might have been a proposal at their table. I do know that SaskPower put forward a package that would reach the 3.5% reduction but the members of one of the IBEW locals rejected this soundly. I do not know if they are back at the bargaining table.
The ‘days off’ proposed notion is still a rollback in our perspective. But further to this, it raises a number of questions about how services would be provided.
There is already chronic short-staffing and processes that do not replace staff on short term vacancy. Presently, there is no Employer (SAHO) proposal for unpaid days off.
#14: Does staying casual preserve these benefits while waiting for the process? – Sabrina, on-line.
I’m not sure what process is being referred to, but I’m going to work on the assumption that the process being referred to is the transition to the new SHA and the question of being co-employed between former RHA’s and between multiple unions. Staying casual should preserve your benefits and seniority. However, if you are having difficulties with your employer, we would strongly recommend that you call the MRC and arrange for a Leave of Absence (LOA) in order to formally preserve your benefits while this process is sorted out.
#15: is there an option to combine Family Illness Leave and Medical Care Leave into one bank so that the benefit is available for those who do not have a family to utilize Family Illness Leave for? – Shanna, on-line.
Family Illness Leave is provided for the following people: parent, spouse, brother, sister, child, common-law spouse, former guardian, fiancé, grandchild or someone with whom you have had a similar relationship. Also a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews and grandparents…check out article 15.08. It is distinct from medical care leave which is for the employee and it can be combined with sick leave for additional paid time off. If adequacy of medical care leave paid time off is an issue, please put this forward for the next round of bargaining.
#16: I would like to know, when will seniority transfer be provincial in nature? – Adrienne, Regina
We are currently working on this as part of our discussions around transition issues with the new SHA. We do not know exactly when this will be finalized. We are currently telling members that if they want to move to a different union jurisdiction, take a LOA from the position they are leaving in order to preserve benefits and seniority while this is dealt with.
We’ll have more updates in the next few days as well as an update on how bargaining has gone this week. Thanks for staying in touch and don’t forget to contact your MLA and the Minister of Health and the Minister of finance to add pressure to change this regressive mandate from 3.5% rollbacks.
If you have any questions about your workplace or collective agreement, don’t hesitate to contact the Member Resource Center at 1-888-999-7348 ext. 2298.
In solidarity,
Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee.