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SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 6

Click to download a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 6

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee met with SAHO on July 5, 6, 7 in Saskatoon.

We spent a considerable period of time discussing each of the parties’ proposals and exchanging information on the rationale that guided our proposals.

The issues we identified with the Employer had a common theme. The Employer proposals were to maintain language that our members identified as unclear or inadequate. The union’s proposals addressed those issues, but the Employer was resistant to ideas that could conceivably generate a cost to the Employer. The provider unions are still waiting to get more information on the new Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and how the new employer will be able to administer three health care provider collective agreements.

SEIU-West, SGEU and CUPE spent about a day with SAHO going over outstanding questions related to the Employers’ initial proposal package. We continue to ask for further information and clarification around the rationale and calculations that were used to justify a proposal of -3.5% in remuneration to SEIU-West members working in the health system. What we heard is that the Government’s take-away proposals were simply and solely based on forcing health care workers to pay for the Government’s agenda and budget.

We want to thank all of our members who have reached out to explain how badly SAHO’s proposals would affect them and their department or site…we were able to share these concerns and real-world examples of how cuts to standby, call-back, overtime and other recruitment and retention of staff initiatives would not only increase waiting lists, drive patients to other provinces or private clinics for health care, but also increase the already crushing workload all members are experiencing. We also talked about the impact of the loss of transportation allowance & professional fees compensation; the employers appear to be fixated on addressing ad hoc issues around taxable benefits and professional associations increasing their rates.

It is abundantly clear, saving money from health care is the primary driver of the proposed reductions or elimination. We have all heard about the pressures on health region budgets; on Ministry of Health budgets; on the Government of Saskatchewan’s budget. What we were able to do is identify the unfairness about is the off-loading of those budget pressures onto our members’ individual budgets; how it will affect you and your families. We talked about how reducing the benefits in our collective agreements will decrease our ability to meet the demands for care/services/analysis in health care. We have talked about improving communications with new staff so they can be successful with their career in Saskatchewan’s health system. We have talked about the impact of others doing our bargaining unit work; how that erodes opportunities for our members to work in their classification.

When we first met in May, SAHO had shared the government’s arbitrary deadline of achieving a tentative agreement by the end of June. That deadline has come and gone and we are still offering up dates to meet with SAHO over the summer. We still want our members to help us reach out to the elected MLA’s over the summer to help us change this money grab mandate.

We are currently setting up membership meetings throughout the province to come to your community or area and talk face to face about bargaining and answer any questions you might have. That schedule will be coming out to your workplaces shortly. Plan to attend the meeting closest to you – even if you are on holidays!

Your bargaining committee wants to thank everyone who has reached out to their MLA about bargaining. If you’ve already contacted them once, do it two more times; if you have written an email, make a phone call. Or better yet, make an appointment to meet! Your voices, your experiences and your stories are making a difference… please keep it up. Find your MLA by visiting: http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/. Lost for words? Here is a letter template for your use.

We encourage you to share your questions and concerns about bargaining with your SEIU-West bargaining committee by contacting us through the Member Resource Center (MRC) at 1-888-999-7348 Ext 2298 or contact us through the “contact us” form on SEIUWEST.ca.

Your participation in your Union makes SEIU-West strong.

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; Simone Corriveau; 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

SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 5

Click to download a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 5

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee met with SAHO on June 13 & 14 in Saskatoon.

SAHO finally concluded presenting their counter proposals to the SEIU-West initial proposal document. It was surprising how much time that took, since the SAHO consistent response was to maintain the status quo (except when they proposed take-aways) or telling the Union to resolve issues at the ‘local’ level. We told them that the members’ frustration at their inability to problem solve issues at the ‘local’ level, either because the Employer has no interest or no authority to do so, is what generates our proposals. It was puzzling to hear that SAHO and the Employers are not interested in or not comfortable with a lot of the progressive ideas that we are putting forward. SEIU-West wants to work proactively to determine what the future with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) will bring and to negotiate a fair collective agreement for frontline health care providers.

We have achieved a modicum of success in that we have agreed to change a reference to another Article in the Call-in Posting Language. We want to set up a sub-committee to address challenges we have with electronic information related to dues. SEIU-West and SAHO are working towards an interest-based (as opposed to adversarial based) process to look at the challenges we have across the province with Article 11.10 Call-in. This is an issue that continues to rear its head for members, schedulers and managers alike and we are committed to trying to make this process more fair and logical for everyone.

We had a number of non-bargaining type discussions: developing a protocol for how SAHO will provide us with an “heads up” on impending layoffs or changes to a facility’s hours of operation in a bargaining unit or RHA. SEIU-West has a pretty robust process for how layoffs are addressed, but because we are bargaining, SAHO is of the view that they have an obligation to share such information with us. As well, we talked about eHealth and their role in the creation of the Saskatchewan provincial health Authority and its IT capabilities.

SAHO stated during this bargaining session that RHA budgets for 2017-2018 are being developed this month and go to the Ministry of Health in September; that there is a great deal of pressure on the RHA’s regarding budgets. We say, “welcome to the club.” We know that you all have been carrying an incredible amount of pressure for a number of years: short staffing, constant overtime, access to and quality of equipment, positions being left vacant, and increasing workloads. We have also heard the message, “enough is enough!” We know that there is a demand for fairness in the air!

We will be working on setting up town hall-style membership meetings over the course of the next 6-8 weeks. We know that summertime meetings are not ideal, and we also know that you all want to meet us so we can tell you what’s been going on at the bargaining table. We will provide updates and information as they come forward.

Your participation in your Union makes your Union strong.

In Solidarity,

SEIU-West Bargaining Committee.

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); Cam McConnell (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape

SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 4

Click to download a printable PDF of SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 4

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee met with SAHO during the week of May 29 – June 1. We reviewed the proposals SAHO and the Employers provided last week in order to develop our questions of clarification on both the language and the financial information behind each proposal.

CUPE and SGEU met with their SAHO bargaining committees at the same time.

The bargaining committee received a lot of feedback after Bargaining Update #3 and we want to thank each and every one of you for contacting us with your concerns, questions and suggestions. This kind of engagement means so very much to the bargaining committee and it also helps us provide the stories and rationale behind our proposals. We ask that you take the next step and also contact your elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) to ensure they understand our concerns. We need all of us working together to get government to change their demands for concessions and rollbacks.

Your bargaining committee sent out the last bargaining update in order to let you know what we are all up against. Never before has a government so blatantly tried to have certain health care workers pick up the tab for the entire provincial out-of-control spending. Members from across the province were vocal in their condemnation of the government’s actions. Anger, a sense of injustice, and incredible sadness and empathy for members who would be most heavily impacted by these proposed cuts were the themes of the messages we received. We are determined to carry these messages forward, so keep your texts, emails and phone calls coming!

SEIU-West has put forward a proposal package that reflects the mandate our members have given the bargaining committee:

Hours of work issues:

We have proposed a modest increase in wage premiums, as well as standardizing overtime to 2x; we proposed ways to identify problems and develop solutions to the challenges with our call-in system; we want to improve scheduling so no member is scheduled for more than 6 consecutive days; we want to allow for a pay out of any time in lieu banks over 80 hours every year; and we believe that standby and callback rates should be increased.

Workplaces:

We want to preserve our bargaining unit work; strengthen language around harassment and get serious about stopping this insidious behavior in our workplaces; improve and promote cultural diversity in our rapidly changing workplaces; create a more robust system for return to work and duty to accommodate; and create a process for reporting workload concerns that includes a review of staffing levels and practices.

Other improvements:

We have proposed increases in transportation allowances, a supplementary maternity and parental benefits plan and improved compensation when our members are required to take on more responsibility in the workplace. We have proposed that anyone who has to pay professional or licensing fees are PAID IN FULL by the employer.

Your bargaining committee is scheduling town hall meetings in all of our health regions to talk with our members, and hear their concerns, over the course of the next six to seven weeks. We will be sending posters and meeting information to all our facility executive. Watch for information on our website and stay in touch via the ‘contact us’ link on the website!

Don’t forget to contact your MLA to ensure they understand our concerns. We need all of us working together to get government to change their demands for concessions and rollbacks. Find your MLA by visiting: http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/. Lost for words? Here is a letter template for your use.

Your participation in your Union makes your Union strong.

In Solidarity,

SEIU-West Bargaining Committee

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); Cam McConnell (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape

SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 3

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee spent the week of May 23rd finalizing our union bargaining proposals. We also worked within our coalition group with SGEU and CUPE to finalize what we would see as coalition bargaining proposals.

On May 25th, we met with our coalition partners, SAHO and the Employer representatives for CUPE, SGEU and SEIU-West health regions. The parties went over some ground rules prior to SAHO presenting all three unions with the SAHO/Employer proposal package.

The government mandate was confirmed as a reduction of -3.5% of provider union compensation and then 0% for the following three years. This is the worst mandate we have ever seen.

SAHO and the employers’ proposal package contained concessions totaling 4.09%. SAHO called their package a “menu of options”, and offered the Unions a chance to choose the concessions they preferred in order to meet the -3.5% government mandate.

The menu of concessions include the following:

A 1% general wage reduction to the base rates of pay with a 0% wage increase for the remaining 3 years;
Creating two lower paid steps in the current pay bands – reducing the starting pay rate of a classification by approximately 7%;
Eliminating the payment of professional fees;
Eliminating the vehicle allowance;
Eliminating the employer top up for direct WCB payments to employees;
Eliminating time in lieu banks;
Eliminating payment of stand-by rate when employees report to work;
Elimination of any overtime or premium pay at double time, reduce all rates to time and a half;
Return to premium pay rates in the 2008-2012 Collective Agreement:
- shift premium reduced to $2.43;
- weekend premium reduced to $1.80;
- stand by rate reduced to $2.19/hour and $4.12/hour;
- EMS standby reduced to $4.12/hour.
Extended health and Enhanced dental plan:
- Employer allowed a contribution holiday to reduce plan funds;
- 3.1% guaranteed funding reduced to a “cap” on funding
- Employees pay 25% of the cost to fund the plan;
- Joint trusteeship of EHD plan.
Reduce market supplement and market adjustment pay rates to 95% of Western Canadian Average (whatever that is).

And then there are SAHO/Employer proposals that do not have any effect on compensation, but are based on “principles.”

Posted positions awarded to the employee with the “best” qualifications, not on the Joint Job Evaluation Job Description qualifications.
Required to work a “supernumerary” shift to get paid for a missed call-in shift due to Employer error.
Required to work a “supernumerary” shift to get paid for a missed overtime shift due to Employer error.

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee then presented our proposal package to SAHO and the employers at our individual table. We know SAHO and the Employers understand the concept of a mandate. We told SAHO and the Employers that we had received a mandate as well – from our members through extensive consultation – one can’t necessarily say the same thing about the government’s consultation – which as you all know was through phone calls, texts and emails, unit meetings, the electronic/paper surveys and our bargaining conference. We told the SAHO/Employer group they would have some choices to make as well.

We said that this would be a tough round of bargaining – that was an understatement!

Your bargaining committee need our members’ support now to help us get to a fair and reasonable Collective Agreement. We’ve been able to do this in the last two rounds of bargaining with our members’ engagement. Now, the Sask. Party government wants to take away all the gains we bargained the past. We need your help again. We are asking you to call, write, email and visit your Member of the Legislative assembly (MLA). We need you to inform them that that you are a health care provider employee, that you vote, and that you deserve a fair and reasonable Collective Agreement; not to be treated like a disposable worker. We need you to ask your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.

The mandate presented at our bargaining table is no less than a direct attack on health care providers by a short-sighted Government. Not only will it make doing our jobs harder, it will damage the sustainability of public health care services in an irreparable way. Faced with what amounts to a “head tax” on health care provider employees, what young worker would want to start a career in health care?

Attached is a list of Saskatchewan MLAs – please call them today and every single day that we continue to be stuck with this bargaining mandate. If you aren’t sure who your MLA is, send us a message on our website and we’ll help you find out.

We need to put the care back into our health care system – we all need to stand up and advocate for our system because its sure apparent this government is too distracted to do its job.

Please note: your SEIU-West bargaining committee wants to remind everyone that we need to stay strong and united with all of our co-workers. Do not let this mandate divide us from our co-workers; remember who is behind this bully bargaining…it’s a government mandate! Let’s stay focused and not attack each other.

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee has the following dates set for bargaining:

May 30, 31,
June 1, 13 and 14
July 4, 5, 6, 24, 25 and 26.

Your participation in your Union makes your Union strong.

In Solidarity,

SEIU-West Bargaining Committee.

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); Cam McConnell (Negotiations Officer) • President: Barbara Cape

Related documents:

SEIU-West/SAHO Bargaining Update No. 3

Find your Constituency

MLA List online

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

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

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