There is currently a vacancy on the SEIU-West Executive Board for members that work for the Community Based Organizations Sector.
Pinned
Virtual town halls (VTHs) were scheduled for the evenings of May 27 and 28 to update SEIU-West members about SAHO bargaining and answer bargaining questions. Unfortunately, the VTH on May 27 ran into major technical glitches. We apologize if you were one of the hundreds of members whose experienced this failure. We were not satisfied that the supplier of the VTH platform would be able to properly fix these problems in time, so we decided to cancel the May 28 VTH.
You may have noticed there hasn't been an announcement about bbqs for the summer yet.
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.
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.
International Worker's Day, sometimes called May Day or Labour Day, takes place annually on May 1. This day is a celebration of labourers and the working class and commemorates the historic and ongoing struggles of the labour movement. In the late 1800's, workers came together to fight for safer work environments and an eight-hour workday, demanding eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours to do as they will. These workers struggled and fought, eventually taking to the streets in a general strike that would result in death and injury to those who participated.
Linen Worker Appreciation Week is April 23 – 29 and provides us with the opportunity to recognize and appreciate the people responsible for the cleaning of textiles used in health care facilities. These hard-working professionals are responsible for cleaning textiles and linens, a critical component to reducing the spread of illness and ensuring that clients, residents, and staff have access to clean linens throughout their day.
Solidarity is a foundational principle of the labour movement. It allows trade unionists to come together and flex our collective power in support of our brothers, sisters, and comrades who have taken the decision to withhold their labour in an effort to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement at the bargaining table.
For Immediate Release
April 17, 2023
Saskatchewan—On the heels of Medical Laboratory Week (April 9-15), Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) represented by SEIU-West are reporting that daily staffing issues that are leading to added stress, burn out, and retention issues.
Date: April 14, 2023
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
In our most recent update, we had identified to our SEIU-West members that vacation banks, time in lieu banks and stat/pro-stat banks would be posted in your workplaces by the end of March. Unfortunately, it was only recently brought to our attention that this did not happen
You're invited to join the SEIU-West Multiculturalism Mentorship Committee to celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day with a potluck and karaoke party! Use the RSVP function here to let us know you're coming!
Families are welcome! And feel free to bring a special dish to share with other attendees!
Please note that we ask all ingredients are clearly marked on a card with any food so people may handle their dietary restrictions and/or allergies appropriately.
April 9 – 15 is National Medical Laboratory Week and we are here to take a closer look at what medical laboratory professionals do and to celebrate our members! Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) are an important, and often invisible part of the health care team. They are behind every lab test result, providing vital information to guide patient care and treatment.
Recently the President of SEIU-West, Barbara Cape and SEIU-West staff were invited to tour the Sterile Processing Department at Royal University Hospital. This is a fascinating, and mostly unseen, part of the healthcare team with all the complex requirements and steps involved. We are in awe of our members who provide this service every day.

For Immediate Release
April 5, 2023
Saskatchewan—In what seems to be an attempt to ignore the legitimate concerns of the largest classification of union members in the health care sector, Minister Everett Hindley declared in a legislative committee that Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) don’t deserve any retention initiatives because they are paid to do the job they do, and that’s retention enough.
Throughout the month of March, SEIU-West members collected donations of menstrual products, in support of ongoing initiatives to end period poverty. Period poverty describes the struggle faced by women and girls who cannot afford the cost of pads or tampons. 1 in 3 Canadian women have sacrificed an item in their cart to buy pads or tampons.
For Immediate Release
March 29, 2023
Saskatchewan—In a misguided effort to cut wait times for certain orthopedic surgeries in Saskatchewan, the SaskParty government has signed a $6 million contract with a Calgary-based private clinic to perform hip and knee replacements. The deal with Canadian Surgical Solutions Ltd., represented by former SaskParty Finance Minister Kevin Doherty, was announced on March 28th. SEIU-West believes the most effective way to reduce surgical wait times is to invest in the public health care system in our own province.