In early December, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (the LRB) issued a decision about the five former Extendicare facilities. The decision was based on an interpretation of the regulations that governed a previous restructuring of the healthcare system in 1997, commonly called the ‘Dorsey regulations’. In that decision, the Saskatoon and Moose Jaw facilities remain within the SEIU-West family. However, the 3 Regina-based facilities were moved, without a vote of the membership, into the CUPE 5430 jurisdiction.
Pinned
Notice to Members in the Education Sector - Re: STF Strike
January 12, 2024
Good afternoon,
As you may have heard, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has announced that its members across Saskatchewan will be conducting a one-day strike on Tuesday, January 16th.
SEIU-West Education Support Staff Stands with the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (the STF) has been bargaining with the Government and Trustee bargaining committee. They have reached an impasse and are unable to make any progress. The STF has notified their members that they will be holding a vote on sanctions against their employer.
Convention 2023: Constitutional Amendments
The following Constitutional Amendments were debated, voted on, and passed during Convention:
SHA and eHealth - IT Transition Update
The Health Services Provider Unions Association, CUPE, SEIU-West, and SGEU, want to provide our members who work in information technology classifications with the SHA with an update on discussions about the movement of IT staff to eHealth.
President's Message - Labour Day 2020
For union members and leaders, there’s an often asked question about Labour Day: ‘What does Labour Day even mean anymore? Surely employers will provide fairness and recognition?’ Well, no that’s not necessarily how it works for working people – whether they’re in a union or not.
#DoneWaiting: Saskatchewan Demonstration in Pictures
SEIU-West Health Care providers are full steam ahead on demonstrating to our provincial government and SAHO that they are #DoneWaiting for a fair deal. Check out our updated #DoneWaiting video with more community demonstrations featured.
Keep an eye on our events page for upcoming demos. If you want to organize a #DoneWaiting demonstration in your community email [email protected].
Media Release: We are #DoneWaiting for Fairness in Moose Jaw
For Immediate Release - September 2, 2020
Moose Jaw – Members of SEIU-West who live and work in Moose Jaw and surrounding areas are demonstrating outside of facilities in the city to express their frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) due to the Sask Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
Essential Services Part 1: Impasse
This is the first video in the series of videos SEIU-West has created to help explain what Impasse is in the bargaining process. In this video, we explain the steps that lead to Impasse and what happens after.
Letter to Politicians: Worker Safety Committee
Media Release: We are #DoneWaiting for Fairness
For Immediate Release - August 26, 2020
Craik & Davidson – Today, SEIU-West members are demonstrating outside the Craik and District Health Care Centre and the Davidson Health Centre to show their frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) due to the Sask Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
President's Message August 20, 2020
Media Release: Lab Staff Needed as a Critical Resource for COVID-19
For Immediate Release - August 20, 2020
Saskatoon – SEIU-West health care providers who work in Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) laboratories are wondering how the government intends to increase testing capacity to 4,000 in early September.
Q&A Follow up: Virtual Town Hall - July 30, 2020
On July 29 and 30, SEIU-West members gathered for a virtual townhall to get an update from President Barb Cape and Charlene Sarafin (July 29) and Janice Platzke (July 30). This was an update on the current state of bargaining with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) a chance for members to ask questions and sharing the plan for a Day of Action/Protest on August 12.
At the last virtual townhall on May 28, 2020 (Afternoon session, Evening Session, and Unanswered Questions), we had our chief negotiator, Bob Laurie, talk about the steps under The Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA) to reach impasse – meaning that there’s no room to move or negotiate – and then having a mediator appointed by the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. That mediator has up to 60 days to reach an agreement between the parties. If there is no agreement, the mediator sends a report on the dispute to the Minister. There is a seven day cooling off period, if an essential services agreement is in place. Then we would be able to issue 48 hour notice of job action.
We’ve also talked with our members about the process for negotiating essential services and having an essential service agreement in place prior to taking job action.
Members have been very vocal about their anger at being without a collective agreement for over three years; there’s a lot of frustration towards the SHA and SAHO for not putting forward a fair offer. Some members, but not nearly enough, have written to the Premier, the Ministers of Health and their MLA’s to talk about their frustration with the government not putting additional money towards a collective agreement. And through all of this is the added anxiety, stress and frustration in the midst of the COVID -19 pandemic.
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee absolutely understands why members are feeling devalued by this long unbearable process we call bargaining. We are angry too. We all know that the government mandate is what is getting in the way of us getting a fair collective agreement, yet when we reach out to our MLA, the Minister of Health or the Premier – they say they don’t want to interfere. Our employer, the SHA, has done nothing to assist our cause… as long as they keep getting their raises, they seem content. We absolutely need the support of public and we need everyone in our community to understand that we are ready to take action.
This is election season, so we want the elected politicians to not only read your letters, but to see you (wearing a mask of course) standing up loud and proud to demand a better offer at the bargaining table. Together we need to demand the respect and recognition that we all deserve. To demand to be seen as a valued member of the health care team responsible for bending the curve of the COVID pandemic.
Media Release: Rural Health Care Providers are #DoneWaiting
For Immediate Release - August 19, 2020
Wilkie & Biggar – Today, SEIU-West members are demonstrating outside the Wilkie and District Health Care Centre and the Biggar and District Health Centre to emphasize their frustration with the lack of progress in bargaining due to the Sask Party government’s refusal to negotiate a fair deal.
Q&A Follow up: Virtual Town Hall - July 29, 2020
On July 29 and 30, SEIU-West members gathered for a virtual townhall to get an update from President Barb Cape and Charlene Sarafin (July 29) and Janice Platzke (July 30). This was an update on the current state of bargaining with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) a chance for members to ask questions and sharing the plan for a Day of Action/Protest on August 12.
At the last virtual townhall on May 28, 2020 (Afternoon session, Evening Session, and Unanswered Questions), we had our chief negotiator, Bob Laurie, talk about the steps under The Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA) to reach impasse – meaning that there’s no room to move or negotiate – and then having a mediator appointed by the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. That mediator has up to 60 days to reach an agreement between the parties. If there is no agreement, the mediator sends a report on the dispute to the Minister. There is a seven day cooling off period, if an essential services agreement is in place. Then we would be able to issue 48 hour notice of job action.
We’ve also talked with our members about the process for negotiating essential services and having an essential service agreement in place prior to taking job action.
Members have been very vocal about their anger at being without a collective agreement for over three years; there’s a lot of frustration towards the SHA and SAHO for not putting forward a fair offer. Some members, but not nearly enough, have written to the Premier, the Ministers of Health and their MLA’s to talk about their frustration with the government not putting additional money towards a collective agreement. And through all of this is the added anxiety, stress and frustration in the midst of the COVID -19 pandemic.
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee absolutely understands why members are feeling devalued by this long unbearable process we call bargaining. We are angry too. We all know that the government mandate is what is getting in the way of us getting a fair collective agreement, yet when we reach out to our MLA, the Minister of Health or the Premier – they say they don’t want to interfere. Our employer, the SHA, has done nothing to assist our cause… as long as they keep getting their raises, they seem content. We absolutely need the support of public and we need everyone in our community to understand that we are ready to take action.
This is election season, so we want the elected politicians to not only read your letters, but to see you (wearing a mask of course) standing up loud and proud to demand a better offer at the bargaining table. Together we need to demand the respect and recognition that we all deserve. To demand to be seen as a valued member of the health care team responsible for bending the curve of the COVID pandemic.