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:
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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:
SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 2
Click here to acccess a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 2!
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee has met a number of times to prepare our SEIU-West proposal package as well as our “common table” proposals to be tabled in negotiations with SAHO and the Regional Health Authorities (RHA’s). The SAHO and Extendicare bargaining committees have met jointly as both Collective Agreements are closely tied to one another.
We had met with SAHO on March 7th to discuss logistics (how often to meet, where, how many days consecutive, etc.). However this meeting was cut short due to the direct communication delivered by SAHO on behalf of the Minister of Finance. In that communication, the health care provider unions (in fact, all public sector unions) were ‘invited’ to join the elected politicians in reducing compensation by 3.5%, for example by agreeing to a number of unpaid days every year. Virtually identical correspondence was delivered to our education sector union leaders by their school divisions, on behalf of the Minister of Finance.
Since that time, the provincial budget has been presented, and we have analyzed its impact. The 3.5% compensation reduction expectation was included in the budget and has been a part of the deliberations of the Legislative Committee on Human Services. Subsequent to the budget being delivered, the Minister of Health has announced a further 10% funding cut to ‘community services’, as identified in the Ministry of Health’s budget. These are services like mental health support and addictions services, together with community support programs. Beyond the regions, what this means for affiliates and associate health care facilities like Extendicare is uncertain at this time. RHA budgets are due by June and this additional information will assist in developing a more comprehensive analysis.
With a declared deficit budget of over 1.3 billion dollars, the collapse of our regional health care structure to one provincial health authority; and the direct, ongoing and regressive tactics of government in interfering with free collective bargaining, once again we are faced with some monumental challenges. There are continuing threats of layoffs, service cuts, and the ever-present concern about contracting out or privatizing our bargaining unit work.
Separate from bargaining, the Unions have met to discuss what member representation would look like in a single provincial health authority. We have met with the Associate Deputy Minister of Health, Tracey Smith; Transition Team member, Mike Northcott; and CEO of SAHO, Mike Higgins; along with the Manager of Labour Relations for the Ministry of Health, Valerie Bayer to share the common principles developed by SEIU-West, along with CUPE and SGEU that would allow us to represent our members within a formal bargaining association. We know this form of representation will work as we have bargained as a coalition on common proposals in the last 3 rounds of SAHO bargaining. The unions have also worked collaboratively with Joint Job Evaluation, on benefits committees, joint trusteeship of SHEPP, and with 3rd parties such as 3sHealth on transcription services. We believe a form of continuation of this partnership will provide needed stability within the health care sector workforce for our members and your patients, clients and residents. However, Extendicare members are represented exclusively by SEIU-West and would not be included in our bargaining association.
The provider unions have agreed to meet again with SAHO and the RHA’s on May 3rd to conclude our logistics meeting. We expect to receive the government’s mandate in formal correspondence at that time and will report this to our membership.
We encourage you to share your questions and concerns about bargaining with the SEIU-West bargaining committee by contacting us through the Member Resource Center at 1-888-999-7348 Ext 2298 or contact us through the “contact us” form on SEIUWEST.ca.
Your participation in your Union makes your Union strong.
In Solidarity on behalf of your SAHO and ECI bargaining committees,
Barbara Cape
President
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); Kerry Barrett (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape
All Out To Stop The Cuts!
The SEIU-West Political Action and Awareness Committee supports the Protest at the Premier’s Fundraiser on Thursday, April 27 from 5-7pm at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. We invite you to join this important action!
The latest Saskatchewan budget included many cuts that hurt all of our communities: five different health care programs have been cut including audiology, podiatry, travel immunization clinics, parent mentoring program, and pastoral care – this has resulted in further layoffs in health care. Libraries and park budgets have been slashed, while K-12 education has been ransacked with future layoffs. The entire STC has been eliminated, resulting in 224 good jobs being lost. Pastures are being threatened, seniors are being forced to pay more in long-term care and we all have to pay more in PST, including a new tax on children’s clothing.
Meanwhile, the government chose to give corporations more tax cuts, causing Saskatchewan to have the lowest corporate tax rates in the country.
The Premiers Dinner is $250 per plate which gives the wealthy another opportunity to influence Brad Wall and our Sask Party MLAs, so we need to come together as the majority who say no to this cruel budget! By joining together, we can ensure our voices and priorities are heard.
WHEN: Thursday, April 27 from 5-7pm
WHERE: Prairieland Park – 503 Ruth Street, Saskatoon
For more information, visit www.stopthecutssk.ca and RSVP/share the Facebook event by clicking here.
In Solidarity,
Political Action and Awareness Committee
SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 1
Print off your copy of your SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No.1
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
On March 7, the coalition of health provider unions (SEIU-West, CUPE and SGEU) had our first meeting with the Sask. Association of Healthcare Organizations (SAHO) to begin the process of bargaining our new collective agreements. The parties did not formally exchange proposal packages, rather our discussions dealt with processes (traditional or collaborative) of negotiations, logistics, and some of the outside factors that could influence bargaining. When we talk about ‘outside factors’ we mean government.
You see government is not supposed to interfere in collective bargaining; while it is the funder of health care, the system is run by the regional health authorities. The theory behind this relationship is to let the employers (RHA’s) and their negotiator (SAHO) achieve the best deal at the bargaining table without the influence/interference of politicians. Sadly, for everyone involved, government decided to interfere significantly.
In the middle of our meeting, while the provider unions were caucusing, SAHO came back into the room to deliver a message on behalf of the Minister of Finance. As many of you will have heard or read about, the Minister of Finance wrote to each union to outline that government Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA’s) were being asked to take a 3.5% wage reduction. Further to that, their political staffers were going to agree (voluntold?) to nine unpaid days off per year (equivalent to 3.5%). We were then ‘invited’ to give the government our ideas around how the unions were going to achieve the savings target within the public sector.
Let’s be clear here, politicians make a heck of a lot more than most health care workers; the base salary of an MLA is approximately $96,000/year…a 3.5% reduction brings their salary down to approximately $93,000/year. Compare that same 3.5% reduction for someone working on the front line of health care for $20-$30/hour… a 3.5% reduction is like losing approximately two weeks of pay per year! That is a significantly different impact on a household budget!!
This hard target by the Sask Party government comes literally in the middle of our very first meeting with SAHO and the health regions to begin bargaining. The provider unions are now facing the threat of concession demands at the bargaining table, another reorganization of the health care structure (and the inevitable resulting chaos), changes in the governance of our benefit plans, and now this?!
This round of bargaining is going to be difficult, it’s going to be troubled and it’s going to test all of us. You have heard this before, every round of bargaining is more difficult than the last. We need all of our members to stand up with their union bargaining committee to demonstrate your support and determination that we need a fair and reasonable collective agreement that we can accept.
We have decided to set additional dates to meet after the upcoming budget address on March 22, where we may get further information about the Minister of Finance and the government’s targets and directions. We will be meeting with our bargaining committees and our coalition of unions to analyze the potential impact to our proposals and establish bargaining plans.
We encourage you to share your questions and concerns about bargaining with the SEIU-West bargaining committee by contacting us through the Member Resource Center at 1-888-999-7348 Ext 2298 or contact us through the “contact us” form on SEIUWEST.ca.
Your participation in your Union makes your Union strong.
In Solidarity,
Your SEIU-West 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); Kerry Barrett (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape
SEIU-West Scholarship Program
SEIU-West offers 20 scholarships of up to $750 every year:
- 10 for members
- 10 for children of members.
2016 Scholarship Winners
PAWS: Justice for All
PAWS: Justice for All
PAAC Letter Vachon
Response to SEIU-West from Federal Health Minister re: Health Accord
On April 1, 2016, SEIU-West sent a letter to our new Federal Minister of Health, Jane Philpott, outlining our concern around the expiry of the Canada Health Accord. We have received a response:
Related Documents:
April 1st Letter from SEIU-West
SEIU-West response to our Federal Minister of Health letter re: Public Health Care
On October 21, SEIU-West received a response from our Federal Minister of Health regarding the expired Health Accord. Here is our response to the Honourable Jane Philpott:
Related Documents:
April 1st Letter from SEIU-West
Unionism on Turtle Island: Report
Unionism on Turtle Island: Report
PAWS: Safety
PAWS: Safety
President’s Message: Meet Your SAHO/Extendicare Bargaining Team!
October 20, 2016
Earlier this year, notifications and applications were posted on www.seiuwest.ca for the SAHO/Extendicare Bargaining Conference and Bargaining Committee. On October 2-3, 2016, roughly 110+ SEIU-West health care members engaged in a highly productive and informative two days. At the Conference, we were also pleased to announce who will make up our SAHO and Extendicare Bargaining Committee teams – and I’m happy to share this information with you now:
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Celeste Dixon – Extendicare Sunset - Tanya Ziffle – Extendicare Elmview
- Lynette Pinfold – Extendicare Moose Jaw
- Teresa Roux – Extendicare Preston
- Rick Brown – SHR
- Simone Corriveau – SHR
- Colleen Denniss – HHR
- Brenda Berry – FHHR
- Donna Gallant – FHHR
- Judy Denniss – SHR
- Kim Wyatt – SHR
- Kim Deitner – SHR
- Janice Platzke – CHR/SEIU-West Treasurer
- Russel Doell – Deputy Director, Collective Bargaining and Enforcement (Staff)
- Kerry Barrett – Negotiations Officer (Staff)
- Bob Laurie – Director, Collective Bargaining and Enforcement (Staff)
- Barb Cape – SEIU-West President
The time commitment for the SAHO/Extendicare Bargaining Committee is substantial, and I want to thank each and every single committee member who agreed to taking on such a large undertaking – it certainly was a hard decision to make!
I believe that this group of members, leaders and staff is truly committed to ensuring the best possible collective agreement for all SAHO and Extendicare members – I look forward to working with this great team!
In the meantime, we ask that all our health care members engage in current government initiatives that will affect our public health care system.
Transformational Change in Health Care:
Our provincial government has set out on a path of “Transformational Change” in our Saskatchewan health care system, yet it is riddled with mystery.
“Transformational Change” within health care in Saskatchewan must be questioned and explained – why the lack of clear definitions? Why is there not meaningful consultation? Why is the mandate solely to reduce the number of Regional Health Authorities? Has my government considered other means to ensure efficiency in quality health care?
Members of the public and frontline health care workers deserve transparency – we urge you to send a letter questioning the purpose of health care reform:
Click “Participate” to send a letter through our campaign page to the Minister of Health Jim Reiter!
In Solidarity,
Barb Cape