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.
Pinned
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.
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!
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes. 
Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy but Stacey is offering some advice from her laboratory headquarters.
“These are trying and difficult times in health care, but we are all part of a large team, working together,” Stacey added. “And that’s how we’ll get through this – by working together, while staying physically distanced apart. And washing our hands. A lot!!”
We would like to round off National Medical Laboratory Week 2020 by featuring yet another SEIU-West Front Line Hero! 
A key part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is the work done within our Medical Laboratories.
A part of the front line Lab team are Combined Laboratory & X-Ray Technologists (CLXTs) like our member Stacey who works at the Rosthern Hospital in rural Saskatchewan.
Stacey's day in the lab includes specimen collection/phlebotomy, admin/accessioning, sample testing and sample referral. It also includes performing X-Rays and ECG's!
What Stacey loves most about her job is the variety every day brings. Also the small moments “which mostly includes getting an opportunity to know our patients well. We see some people many times over the years and so many of our "regulars" become special to us” said Stacey.
“I’ve been a CLXT working in rural Saskatchewan for over 20 years. Medical Laboratories encompass many Laboratory professionals - from Phlebotomists, MLA’s, MLT’s, CLXT‘s, all the support and administration staff and so many more!! Laboratory staff, whether on the front lines, or working behind the scenes, are an essential and integral part of patient care. I’m proud to be a Heath Care Worker and part of the Medical Laboratory Team! Happy National Medical Laboratory Week to all of my amazing and hard-working co-workers!!
“These are trying and difficult times in health care, but we are all part of a large team, working together,” Stacey added. “And that’s how we’ll get through this – by working together, while staying physically distanced apart. And washing our hands. A lot!!”
We are proud to celebrate the health care heroes that make up the team in Medical Laboratories.
Listen and watch the latest President's Message from Barbara Cape! This week, she discusses the vital work of those who work and support Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) in recognition of MLT Week. Barb also recognizes May Day, discusses new COVID-19 modeling numbers, and shares information around our Frontline Heroes series - check it out:
This week of April 26 - May 2, SEIU-West is proud to celebrate National Medical Laboratory Week!
Anita is a Medical Laboratory Technologist at the Royal University Hospital. She is also certified in Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and an author in Document Management System.
Part of Anita’s day includes ensuring staff competency, organizing workflow and area processes, ensuring area protocols are followed and that accreditation standards, as well as safety of medical laboratory staff are maintained.
Anita says about her job, “My job in the Diagnostic Molecular Pathology Lab is so interesting! Our lab uses the power of Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) to identify difficult to culture pathogens. We have been hard at work lately processing samples from people suspected of having COVID-19”.
Anita and her fellow MLTs are working extremely hard through this pandemic. They are maintaining current testing on all patients, as well as, bringing in and working up new testing for the continuing and future care of the COVID-19 patients and all other patients.
We are proud to celebrate the health care heroes that make up the team in Medical Laboratories.
SEIU-West continues to be there for you during the COVID-19 crisis. Our top priority is the health and safety of our members, their families, their patients/residents/clients and communities. Below are links to some COVID-19 resources that may be useful for you.
Please Note: SEIU-West is not responsible for the content of these external sites - we are sharing information ONLY.
May 1st is International Workers’ Day, a day to recognize, celebrate, and demonstrate workers’ historic and ongoing struggles. It symbolizes the common struggles of the working class.
Historically, May 1st signifies the gains workers achieved in the late 19th century in North America. Workers were faced with unsafe working environments and long hours which led to workplace injuries and fatalities. Fed up with these unjust conditions, workers fought back to demand a shorter work day with no cut in pay. Thousands of workers took to the streets and many workers lost their lives in this effort.
When we think about the people who put their lives on the line for the rights we enjoy today, we realize that we cannot take anything we’ve gained for granted. So we should not only celebrate but recognize that there is an urgent need for us to keep up the fight for our rights today – and this is the case now, more than ever.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the fact that it’s not CEOs or bosses that make the world go ‘round, it’s actually workers.
It is the front line workers who produce the products and provide the services we all rely on. And it is during this health pandemic that we truly see what our societies need to prioritize in order to function: health care, education, community services, child care, food services…the list goes on.
While many of the workers who work in these essential services are proclaimed to be the heroes that SEIU-West already knows they are, the fact is, the support these workers need from their employers and governments are not in place.
Whether it be the lack of clear communication from employers, the years of underfunding to our public services, the lack of safety supplies due to cutbacks, or the low wages that lead to multiple jobs just to make ends meet – it’s clear our governments, employers and decision-makers need to put workers first, and not their bottom line.
This May Day, SEIU-West encourages you to not only thank workers for their incredible services, but to also write to your elected officials about the need for supports such as: a living wage, paid sick leave, a robust social safety net, affordable child care and housing, accessible public transit and particularly right now, comprehensive personal protective equipment (PPE) for all workers.
There are also May Day events you can join, such as Labour Notes’ webinar, May Day: System In Crisis—A Working-Class Vision for the Future.
We hope you have a safe and healthy May Day!
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes. 
Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy but Jess is offering some advice from her RUH headquarters.
“As an Environmental Service Worker (ESW), there is added pressure than on a normal day; we are there to help prevent someone from catching something in our hospital. We must always work diligently,” says Jess. “With COVID-19 (C19), we just have to work harder to make sure everything is as clean as it can be so that a patient or family member doesn’t get C19.
“When I come home, I shower and change my clothes as soon as possible. I have family that are immunocompromised, so I always have to be careful that I don’t put my loved ones at risk. As a team, we are constantly making sure we are doing the best we can, cleaning the best we can, and practicing hand hygiene so we don’t put others at risk. We focus on the reality that if we don’t take care of our hand hygiene and infection control in the area we are cleaning, we may be putting patients, coworkers and families at risk.
“That’s not something we should ever do as health employees. I try to always think the positive and know that this too will come to an end.”
Here’s one of your SEIU-West Front Line Heroes. 
Providing hands on care during a pandemic is not easy but Emilyn is offering some advice from her RUH headquarters.
“It’s hard to get through each day but you just think about how you can help others and try to do the best you can to protect yourself without bringing anything home with you. The atmosphere at work right now is nervous, but people are vigilant about what they touch and their surroundings. Mentally, it’s exhausting. Every day there is a new routine before you leave and when you get back. You can’t be around loved ones when you go home – I go straight to the shower and I leave my shoes outside.
Working in registration at the hospital, patients are now getting screened through security and we have changed our processes to be safer - these processes are always changing. Everyone is anxious because this is the calm before the storm. There are so many changes in the hospital that you can’t help but get a bit nervous. In the common areas, the chairs are all gone now. It feels eerie.
Try to think positively and hope this goes away”.
We want to feature yet another SEIU-West Front Line Hero this National Medical Laboratory Week (April 26 - May 2, 2020). 
Joe is a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) at the Humboldt District Health Complex.
“The lab is a busy place to work, it runs 24/7 so there’s always someone on call after hours,” said Joe.
Joe and his fellow MLTs are performing some of the most critical work during this pandemic including specimen collection and pre-analytical specimen handling/processing.
Their efforts ensure that people are tested in a timely manner so the virus can be identified and a course of treatment can be followed.
The front line heroes in our Medical Labs can detect, prevent, and manage physiological and pathological conditions in patients, clients, and residents so they can be treated effectively.
In the midst of the additional work related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe and his coworkers are maintaining current testing on all patients.
We are proud to celebrate the health care heroes like Joe that make up the team in Medical Laboratories.
Whether it’s the skill and knowledge of testing for HIV, the seasonal flu, cancer or COVID-19, our Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) continually step up to the challenge of providing timely diagnostic information for the whole health care team but especially in light of the public health challenges we currently face.
This week marks a celebration and acknowledgement of the work of an incredibly diverse group of professionals that provide education, experience and knowledge to the whole health care team. They work as partners with doctors and other health care professionals, to provide them with the tools they need to make accurate and timely diagnosis.
Every day that we work in our health system is unique and challenging. We strive to bring our best skills to the table... during a pandemic, that work in a lab is even more important because of the public health impact. Behind the scenes or at the lab bench, Medical Laboratory Technologists keep their knowledge at the cutting edge and their skills sharp to keep all of us safe.
On behalf of SEIU-West, I thank our MLT’s for their incredible knowledge, skills and abilities.