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:
Join a SEIU-West Committee!
SEIU-West Committees keep us at the forefront of the Labour movement in Canada, and provide an excellent opportunity for members to learn from each other. Committee members serve for two years, and we have now approached the end of a two-year term so we are requesting SEIU-West members and all current committee members to submit their Expressions of Interest form should they wish to serve or remain on committees.
Sexual Assault Awareness Week May 12-18
This year, Sexual Assault Awareness Week is recognized in Saskatchewan May 12-18. SEIU-West stands against sexual assault and recognizes the need for a robust level of services that support those who experience assault, for it is clear we must do more to address sexual assault in our communities.
Saskatchewan has the second highest rate of reported sexual assaults amongst all provinces, and the highest rate of intimate partner violence. Yet studies have shown most sexual assault survivors do not report. This failure to report might be attributed to the lack of action – many survivors have said they’ve felt re-victimized by the system of reporting – an investigation from Globe and Mail found that 19 per cent of sexual assault allegations in 2010 -2014 were considered “unfounded,” meaning Canadian police did not believe a crime had actually occurred.
Still, we’re seeing a rise of those who report sexual assault. Police reported that sexual assaults were up 38.6% from 2017 to 2018 in Regina, and are up 10.3% in Saskatoon over the same period. However, many support services are not able to meet these growing needs. In fact, service organizations like the Saskatoon Sexual Assault Information Centre saw their provincial funding freeze for three years and in the latest 2019-20 budget, women’s shelters had a mere one per cent funding increase. This lack of support is having severe consequences for those who have experienced sexual assault - staff at these organizations say there is a growing demand for counselling services, but their resources are inadequate to meet the growing needs. This has led to staff turnover and many of these service centres have had to make program cuts to ensure they can provide basic services with the limited amount of resources they have.
In order to address these ineffective justice and service needs, advocates are demanding increased education. The questions from the police and justice system during a sexual assault case often question the credibility of the survivor’s actions. We therefore need education for judges and police but also for our communities who often act as juries. That is why SEIU-West is applauding the announcement of a new action plan to end sexual violence.
Announced in May 2019 – during Sexual Assault Awareness Week - Saskatchewan now has a 22-point action plan to end sexual violence in this province. We were the last province in Canada to develop a sexual assault strategy, and the Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (SASS) attributes support for this initiative from the funding provided by federal government. SASS travelled to over 22 communities and spoke to survivors, family members, and service providers in order to develop this plan. This report has a focus on prevention and education, support and intervention, responsive legal and justice systems, and collaborative leadership and accountability. SASS found that the legal system was where many people were having the most difficulties - in response to the lack of trust in reporting, there was also an announcement for a pilot project involving a review protocol in Regina.
On a quarterly basis, members of organizations like the SASS will review Regina’s police sexual assault investigations, and the reviews will involve cases where charges haven’t been laid. SEIU-West supports this step as this process will involve people who have spent their lives working with and supporting those who are survivors of sexual assault.
Members and leaders of SEIU-West were also relieved to learn that the government has announced Bill No. 172, The Saskatchewan Employment (Paid Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Violence Leave) Amendment Act. This amendment will allow access to paid leave from work for survivors of domestic violence.
It’s appropriate that this first reading should take place during Sexual Assault Awareness Week and is welcoming news for all workers within Saskatchewan – as we have highest rates of intimate partner violence in Canada and better support is needed. We know domestic violence deeply affects people at work, and that job security is not enough, so the addition of paid leave is a great step forward in addressing the urgent need to increase support systems for those experiencing domestic violence.
Saskatchewan was one of the last provinces to legislate paid leave. The SEIU-West Young Workers Committee, partnered with the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan (PATHS), the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL), and the Saskatchewan NDP, in order to help ensure paid leave become a priority for our government.
Now that we have this legislation, awareness is key. Each workplace should have a clear and communicated workplace policy so workers know they can access paid leave should they require it. How many persons who experience domestic violence would tell their employer of their experiences if they do not have, or are not aware of, any support? How many more would be fearful of persecution if they did share their experiences? Research has shown that many people do not report because of the stigmas associated with domestic violence - these stigmas act as a barrier to communication and support. That is why employers should now take the steps to provide education and training for themselves and their staff. We are hopeful these steps will result in concrete and enforced support for those who experience domestic violence.
For more information on sexual assault, please visit http://sassk.ca/resources/
To find your nearest support services provider, visit http://sassk.ca/finding-support/ or call 211.
If you experience sexual assault at work or if it’s affecting your work, please call the SEIU-West Member Resource Centre at 1.888.999.7348.
Win of the Week! May 5-11
Members who work in Chinook School Division are celebrating after ratifying their latest collected agreement! The agreement includes general wage increases totaling 4% over 3 years, as well as a signing bonus of up to $675 for all employees. In a climate where we’re hearing rollbacks are inevitable for public sector workers, our union’s strength demonstrates our ability to resist and achieve gains. We’re stronger together!
President's Message: Nursing Week 2019
It’s an honour to take a moment to show our appreciation for the thousands of front line members of the health care nursing team. While a whole team of professionals contribute to our health and well-being, during this week we recognize the nursing team.
Thank A Youth Worker Day! May 9, 2019
On May 9, 2019, communities, organizations, and people around the world are joining together for the annual international day of celebrating and honoring Youth Workers on Thank a Youth Worker Day!
SEIU-West is proud to join the festivity of Thank A Youth Worker Day – we know how hard our members work to improve the lives of the youth they care for.
The dedicated SEIU-West members who care for our community’s youth and children often work in emergency or schools settings – their role is to ensure children and youth experiencing crisis situations are cared for in a home-like setting, or to provide personal care to students who require extra assistance. For youth in either of these situations, comfort and support is essential, and that is what our Youth Workers are trained to provide.
Our communities’ youth rely on encouraging environments to thrive, and Youth Workers help facilitate personal growth and empower youth to transition from dependence, to independence.
It is clear Youth Workers are vital to the success of our communities so please, join SEIU-West in thanking our incredible members who work as Youth Workers!
SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 1
(Click here for a printable PDF of this Bargaining Bulletin)
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
Your SEIU-West bargaining committee provided notice to SAHO of the outcome of our ratification vote. SAHO provided their notice and confirmed receipt of our document.
The Union committee has now met to discuss our next steps with regard to returning to the bargaining table after our rejection of the tentative agreement. We’ve looked at a few scenarios and developed responses to both: returning to the table to only negotiate monetary improvements; or starting from ‘square one’ as was proposed by SAHO in previous joint bargaining meetings. The parties have agreed that bargaining dates won’t be set until after May 17. We have asked for a process meeting with SAHO to discuss how we will move forward. Stay tuned for an update that will be posted once dates are set.
On behalf of the bargaining committee, we wish to thank you all for your numerous questions to the SEIU-West website, Facebook, and via email. We are going to take this return to the bargaining one step at a time; being very intentional in our membership communications. The strength and conviction of our members in this rejection gives a very clear message to your bargaining committee and to SAHO and the Government of Saskatchewan.
We encourage you to contact the MRC at 1-888-999-7348 ext. 2298 to ask any further questions. Please watch for updates on www.SEIUWEST.ca. You can also follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds.
In Solidarity,
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; Carla Saworski; Kim Wyatt; Charlene Sarafin; • Staff: Bob Laurie (Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement); Russell Doell (Deputy Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement); Cam McConnell (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape
Win of the Week! April 28 - May 4
In anticipation for Nursing Week next week, we have a great win to share! We’ve had an awesome level of response for our Nursing Week celebrations – Unit Executives were asked to complete this survey in order to receive some financial help in recognizing the amazing Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs), and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who work in their facilities. We’re excited to see the celebrations that await! And if you’re a part of your facility’s Unit Executive, there’s still time to request funding! We ask that you submit requests by May 13, 2019.
International Worker's Day: May 1
May Day (May 1st) is a day to recognize, celebrate, and demonstrate workers’ historic and ongoing struggles. Also known as International Workers’ Day, May Day symbolizes the common struggles of workers everywhere. 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. Workers had had enough with these unjust conditions and fought back to demand an 8 hour work day with no cut in pay. Thousands of workers took to the streets and many workers lost their lives in this struggle. In 2019, Canada celebrates a particularly monumental May Day as this May, we recognize the 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike.
The Winnipeg General Strike is a significant part of our working-class history. In May and June of 1919, more than 30,000 workers went on strike for six weeks. The strike grew out of frustrations with the inequities at work, including rising prices and stagnant wages, and a government that worked on behalf of employers, and not workers. Together, workers stood in unison to demand better, but not without backlash. Two workers were killed and many were injured as they fought for working-class justice, and when we remember that people put their lives on the line for the rights we enjoy today, we understand that we cannot take anything we’ve gained for granted. We must therefore celebrate but also recognize there is an urgent need for us to keep up the fight for our rights today. To learn more, visit the Building A Better World: 1919-2019 Winnipeg General Strike 100th Anniversary website.
To get involved in a local May Day event, click on the links below (email [email protected] if you have another event to add):
Regina – May Works Week
Saskatoon - May Day 2019
Win of the Week! April 21-27
Members of SEIU-West are reporting that a fellow member has stepped up to assist Biggar during their community's time in need. This member is a volunteer fire fighter and has been active in this duty to combat the fires blazing in Biggar. Their willingness to help demonstrates the leadership and care that runs through the veins of our members. It is clear that SEIU-West members not only take a stand for their communities at work, but outside of work as well. Thanks to our members for showing that purple cares!
MEDIA RELEASE: Unions Deliver Mixed Verdict on Health Sector Tentative Agreement
For Immediate Release, April 24, 2019
Saskatchewan’s three health sector provider unions - SEIU-West, CUPE Local 5430 and SGEU Health Providers – held ratification votes on the contract offer of the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), representing health-sector employers. The unions shared the results with their members on April 18th.
Celebrate Medical Laboratory, Administration, and Linen Services Week
In celebration of THREE incredible assets to our team, SEIU-West is proud to recognize the health care providers and workers who work in Medical Laboratory, Administration, and Linen Services!
This week is Medical Laboratory Week, and we want to honour the work of those who work in the Lab as Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) and Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs). Quality control is central for the work of MLTs and MLAs – cleanliness and safety are key. Troubleshooting and standardizing equipment are also an important aspect of a well-functioning lab. MLAs are responsible for specimen collection and pre-analytical specimen handling/processing. MLT’s are able to detect, prevent and manage physiological and pathological conditions. These steps are vital to ensuring a correct diagnosis and resulting treatment for the patient. Needless to say, MLAs and MLTs are fundamental to the health care team – thank you for your vast contributions to the health care team!
Administrative Professionals are a shining example of commitment to a working team. Communication and organization are what drives a good team, and Administrative Professionals are largely responsible for efficient and clear communication within our education, community based, and health care teams. These skills are a must for Administrative Professionals as they are often responsible for staff scheduling and for ensuring the team is running to its best abilities. Thank you for your incredible work, Administrative Professionals!
Members who work in Linen Services are critical for the functionality of the health care team – health care services rely on clean, sanitary, and on-time materials to ensure patients, residents, clients, and staff can function properly in healthy environment. SEIU-West also represents members who work at Canadian Linen & Uniform Service, one of the largest uniform rental and linen supply companies in Canada. They provide linen products to the automotive, industrial, hospitality and health care sectors so we know our members work hard every day to ensure these important industries get what they need – we can’t thank our Laundry Service Workers enough for their amazing work!
Now let’s put your skills to the test! Enter to win the Medical Laboratory, Administrative Professionals, and Linen Services Week Word Search for your chance to win some awesome prizes:
- Rush Tickets: SEIU-West has 25 tickets to give away for the Saturday, April 27th Rush vs. the Colorado Mammoth game. This game is themed as “Heroes Night” so it’s a perfect way to recognize those who work in the Medical Lab, Administration, and Linen Services!
- Long Day’s Night Music Festival in Swift Current June 20-22: Celebrate four of the longest days of the year with great music and lots of fun under a big-top tent at the Long Day’s Night Music Festival.
- Regina Folk Festival Tickets and Saskatoon Jazz Festival Tickets: Regina Folk Festival is held on the weekend following the long weekend in August, and the Saskatoon Jazz Festival takes place June 21-30!
Enter the contest by April 30 (or April 25 if you want to go to the Rush Game!) for your chance to win! Send your complete crosswords to [email protected]
May Works Week - Regina
The Regina & District Labour Council (RDLC) for the first time ever; is co-coordinating a week long events to celebrate May Day! We are inviting all Unions, Community Organizations to come join us to celebrate International Workers Day on May 1st, 2019. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike, during May Works week which starts on April 28, 2019. Watch the RDLC Facebook page for the line-up of events and we ask that you share! Here are the events (find posters by clicking on the titles):
Sunday April 28, 2019 - Day of Mourning Vigil at Regina City Hall on April 28th at 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Reception to follow at the Union Centre after at 2709 – 12th Ave. This vigil will list the names of the 48 workers killed on the job last year in Saskatchewan, let us remember them; “Mourn for the dead, fight for the living,” “an injury to one, is an injury to all.”
Monday April 29, 2019 - Labour History and Book Launch, “Cracking Labour’s Glass Ceiling,” hosted by Briarpatch Magazine. 7:00 pm at Tommy’s Speakeatery 2720 Montague Street.
Tuesday April 30, 2019 - Movie Night with Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG) 6:30 pm: “The Right to Learn,” screening and discussion about the costs of higher education - at the University of Regina Education Building 619.
Wednesday May 1, 2019 - May Day Parade; CELEBRATE WORKERS!!
5:00 pm: line up at the Union Centre. Bring your flags, noise makers and favourite union attire.
6:00 pm: parade starts (map included). We will march to the Legislative Building, where we will hear from speakers and there will be free hot dogs for everyone. This event is coordinated by SGEU and RDLC. Join us and the music, drums, and bands and celebrate workers!
7:00 pm: come out to the after Parade Party at Rebellion Brewing at and Barb Byers to give a presentation on Labour History.
RSVP to Shobna Radons at [email protected] with the numbers of people from your local or union that are planning to attend!
Thursday May 2, 2019 - Poetry Slam at Bushwakkers, Arizona Room 7:00 pm; 7:00 – 8:00 pm workshop on how to write and deliver spoken word poetry.
8:00 pm– performances by local spoken word poets and an open mike. The folks from Spoken Word have graciously agreed to facilitate this event.
Friday May 3, 2019 - Karaoke at Q Nightclub & Lounge
7:00 pm: We will end the week with Labour Songs and coming together in solidarity! “Power to the people and workers!”
It is a week full of events, a lined up for Union, Associations, and Community Organizations to join the Regina & District Labour Council to celebrate the week and the day reserved for Workers of the world everywhere.
RSVP requested, please email: [email protected] or [email protected]