3sHealth offers optional employee and spousal life insurance to eligible SEIU-West members. Enrolment is open for Employee Optional Life Insurance and Spousal Optional Life Insurance from May 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025.
Pinned
Apply to be on a Committee for the 2025-2027 Term!
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.
Each committee is comprised of members just like you, a Top Officer, and is supported by a SEIU-West staff member.
Have Your Say! SEIU Climate Survey
In 2024, Canada experienced yet another record-breaking. year of extreme weather events driven by climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and floods. Scientists project an increase in these events in the coming years.
Important Message from Barbara Cape
N/52nds Overpayment
If you are an SEIU-West member working for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and you receive a communication from your employer indicating that you owe them money back for an N/52nds overpayment, please:
Info Pickets
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!
Experiencing Prairie School for Union Women
This letter was written by SEIU-West member, Lyse. She was one of the lucky members to be selected as a delegate to the 2019 Prairie School for Union Women - you can read about her wonderful experiences below:
Prairie School for Union Women (PSUW) is something all women should have the privilege to attend. A strong objective of the school is gaining knowledge in many different areas, it is also a place where women support and raise each other up in a safe environment.
My experience started when I picked up a union sister in Regina. It was refreshing to connect with someone who was not only involved in her union, she was also very positive. Our journey continued to Saskatoon where we met the PSUW bus that would be taking us the school in Waskesiu Lake, located in beautiful Prince Albert National Park.
After checking in and meeting my roommate for the next four nights, we made our way to the community for dinner and the official opening of this year’s school. I was amazed to see many enthusiastic women of all ages and backgrounds.
The following three and a half days, I participated in the session “Women Speaking Up”. As someone who lacks confidence to share her ideas and speak up, this session was a great fit and allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and take part and something that I would normally avoid, Public Speaking.
At the end of each day I was able to connect with many of the participants along with participating in all that the location had to offer. From an interactive talk about bison, to a pontoon tour of some lakes and even the viewing of a yet to be released movie about the strike in Winnipeg that occurred 100 years ago. There was always something valuable to do.
The closing banquet was held on the last evening. It was great to see all the women participating and cheering each other on. It was a very emotional and an empowering evening. Besides my experience with Girl Guides, I have never seen an environment where women support each other at that level.
I thank SEIU-West for this opportunity. From the great arrival package provided to the great women I was able to meet from our union, I am truly appreciative. Moving forward I can’t wait to see the opportunities in learning, networking and supporting what SEIU-West has to offer.
Your Union Sister,
Lyse
Be sure to look out for 2020 Prairie School for Women opportunities!
Educational Opportunity: SFL OH&S Conference 2019
The Worker Safety Committee of SEIU-West is sponsoring up to five (5) members to attend the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Occupational Health and Safety Conference.
SDLC Vacation of the Month Contest!
SEIU-West is proud to be a union that supports and lives by social unionism – we understand our role is not just to improve the working lives of our members, but to improve the communities in which we live as well.
The basis of social unionism also translates to a strong and progressive union culture and a commitment to work in collaboration with allies, both here at home and around the world.
In that sense, we strive to support and get involved in community events and organizations striving for social justice. It is our members that lead the way – they volunteer, organize, and get involved in both their union and communities every day – in other words, Purple Works In Our Communities!
In recognition of the volunteer work of our members, we have a new contest with an awesome prize!
The Saskatoon & District Labour Council (SDLC) has generously given SEIU-West a ‘Vacation of the Month’ ticket as a result of our efforts in supporting the Summer Snack Program – a vital program that ensures kids in need have access to lunch outside of the in-school months in Saskatoon.
This ‘Vacation of the Month’ ticket has a $120 value and enters you into monthly draws for amazing vacations! For example, the September 2019 vacation draw is a choice between seven (7) nights hotel and air to Cabo (Mexico) or seven (7) nights hotel and air and to Waikiki (Oahu Island, Hawaii)!
For your chance to win this ticket, we ask that you tell us: how do you volunteer in your community? Email [email protected] by July 28, 2019 for your chance to win!
You do not have to live in Saskatoon to be able to enter this contest but you must be a member of SEIU-West.
Win of the Week! July 7-13
SEIU-West is thrilled to share the good news of one of our members! This member was struggling to gain long term disability but as a member of SEIU-West, they were not alone in their struggle. Our SEIU-West Benefits Officer supported this member through several levels of appeal, and we just received word that this member was granted retroactive pay and coverage going forward! We are so happy for this member and are proud to share that SEIU-West is unique in having designated staff person(s) assigned to assist members in three specialty services pertaining to domestic violence, disability appeals, and attendance management. This is a wonderful service for members so we want to make sure you are aware – and to help spread the word!
Member of Distinction: Summer 2019
Our Summer 2019 Member of Distinction is Brenda Coben!
Brenda is a long- time member of SEIU-West. She works as a Continuing Care Assistant at the Elrose Health Center. She is the current Unit Chair and does a fantastic job of representing and engaging her co-workers. She is also an important part of our member facilitator team who delivers our internal training program for SEIU-West members.
Recently, Brenda was approached by one of the current Elrose Town Councillors and asked if she would run in the by-election. Brenda was no stranger to community involvement as a former School Board Trustee and volunteering with the local Lioness Club but had never thought about being a Town Councillor. She credits her involvement with the Union, especially facilitation, for giving her the confidence to “give it a shot”. Not surprising to us, she was overwhelmingly elected in the by-election held March 27th and is already serving in this new role. Brenda will definitely be rolling up her sleeves soon because she was appointed to two committees at her first town meeting!
The town of Elrose will benefit from Brenda’s enthusiasm to branch out and learn new things. We are sure she will prove to be a great asset to the Town Council. Congratulations Brenda! We are proud of you.
Do you know a Member of Distinction? Email: [email protected].
Cape's Corner: Summer 2019
This summer, you’ll be seeing SEIU-West billboards prominently displayed across the province as we renew our focus on safety. Whether you work in the health, community-based organization (CBO), education, or within our private and allied sectors, we have heard firsthand too many of our members are trying to get the job done with too few staff.
At our May Convention, themed Together Strong Together Safe, delegates were able to talk about the need for safer workplaces. We urged members and guests to provide advice about what to do when faced with an unsafe work environment. Moving forward, we have introduced a member education session about occupational health and safety. There is a clear demand: we all want to improve safety for our patients, clients, residents, and students.
These billboards connect readily with the CBO campaign where we join with other unions (SGEU and CUPE) to highlight the need for stable and predictable multi-year funding in this sector. This is the purpose of the 'Sask People Who Care' campaign which urges members of the general public to sign an online petition in recognition of the valuable work done in this sector for residents and clients who are in most need. We encourage every one of our members to collect signatures on the paper petition over the summer and return them (with original signatures) to one of our offices in September so they can be submitted in the fall sitting of the Legislature.
Our Provincial Contract Action Team (ProCAT) will be coming out to facilities across the province to promote our on-line and billboard campaign. We ask SEIU-West health care providers to share the message 'Be Fair to Those Who Care' and engage the general public to support health care providers. As part of creating a safe health care system, the rates of pay must keep up with the cost of living – so that we can retain and recruit health care providers. Safe staffing is essential to keeping our patients, clients and residents safe.
Our members who work in the education sector have been faced with cuts to staffing in the classrooms and throughout the school system. Over the past few years, our provincial government has whipsawed the funding for this sector… but ultimately, leaving our schools and students in a deficit. Student enrollment continues to grow, but the staffing needed for kids who are new Canadians or who have special learning needs or need some extra support has stayed static or been reduced in school systems across the province. We believe that funding needs to be fully restored and further supplemented to create a safe, quality learning environment for everyone.
To amplify this message, we need your help. For the remaining months of the year, we are asking our members to tell us – in a short video (less than 10 seconds) –what you would do to make your workplace safer. Our goal is to raise awareness about the need for safety in Saskatchewan workplaces where injuries are among the highest in this country, and at the same time provide some solutions from the experts in the workplace – our members. If you are interested in being a part of this campaign, email [email protected].
It’s really quite simple – end understaffing.
Health Provider Bargaining: The Next Chapter
Representatives of the SEIU-West provincial bargaining team met with SAHO on June 14 to determine the next steps for bargaining. At this meeting, it was agreed that the parties would resume bargaining, as opposed to starting over. Bargaining update no. 3 is posted on the SAHO page.
At this meeting, your SEIU-West representatives identified that the outstanding issue – for the strong majority of members who voted to reject the tentative agreement – was dissatisfaction with the monetary offer. SAHO was advised that our members felt disrespected when they learned that MLAs received a 2.3% increase to salary (due to cost of living increase) on April 1, 2019. If the cost of living increase affects MLAs, it also affects health providers.
The SEIU-West team is insisting upon a sturdy set of dates to bargain through the summer. In step with the SAHO bargaining dates, there will be regular bargaining updates and information supplied by the Provincial Contract Action Team (ProCAT) as they move through the province doing unit visits. Your ProCAT will be recruiting Unit Contract Action Teams (UCATs), gathering information for our future use in essential services negotiations and they will be talking about our latest campaign introduced to support bargaining called ‘Be Fair to Those Who Care’ – visit befairtothosewhocare.ca to find out more.
We urge members to engage with the ProCAT, sign a postcard, and send a letter through the online campaign. Get your neighbours, friends and colleagues to participate and show their support too.
You also might want to call your MLA and ask: where is the fairness when MLAs receive a 2.3% increase in salary, and offer others such as health providers zeroes?
We know the significant challenge faced in achieving a fair collective agreement – now more than ever, we need greater support from you – our members – and your communities!
Interested in becoming a Shop Steward?
Did you know Shop Stewards help protect the rights of SEIU-West members every day? They are vital leaders within our union and their presence on the shop floor makes our union stronger. It is crucial that each Unit has a number of Stewards that is proportional to the Unit size – it is even better if each department has a Steward.
Wondering what Stewards do? They discuss first level grievances with the employer in an effort to resolve situations early, they investigate grievances using our investigation fact sheet and communicate those investigations with SEIU-West Staff Reps, they mentor new Stewards, and they perform routine check-ins with members to determine whether there are workplace concerns or issues that need to be addressed by our union. While Stewards have large responsibilities, they know they have a strong union behind them that will support them and provide resources when they need.
Each year, SEIU-West offers Shop Steward training so if you’re interested in becoming a Shop Steward, we ask that you speak to your Unit Chair. If you have any questions about the role of a Steward, don’t hesitate to call the Member Resource Centre at 1.888.999.7348 ext. 2298.
To access a poster of this information, click here.
Win of the Week! June 30-July 6
Members who work in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division have a great win to share! They ratified their latest agreement and have recently received their latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The CBA includes wage increases amounting to 7% over four years as well as the following non-monetary gains:
- 15 minutes for new employees Union Orientation;
- Email and website posting of vacancies during the summer break;
- Clarification of the process for filling vacant bus routes;
- Ability to take a 15 minute rest periods where possible;
- Bus driver monthly cell phone allowance increases;
- Personal Property damage reimbursement increases;
- Completely revamped Occupation Health and Safety language.
Congratulations to our bargaining committee and to the members within these schools – we’re Stronger Together!
MEDIA RELEASE - End Understaffing: Be Fair to Those Who Care
Saskatoon – A new campaign has been launched by SEIU-West to bring attention to the very real safety concerns resulting from ongoing understaffing in the health care sector. Purple billboards will be displayed across the province encouraging the Saskatchewan provincial government to Put Care First: End Understaffing.
“Put care first,” said Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West. “It’s as simple as that. Not having enough people on a shift at a care home, or at the hospital, or to provide home care services puts residents, patients, and clients at risk. We also see this as a real and imminent threat in our education and community-based sectors.”
Workers Compensation Board data shows that health care is one of the most dangerous sectors to work in—at least as dangerous as working in construction. Injury rates in the education sector are also well above average. “But we can change that,” said Cape, “if we have more people working as part of the staff team. We hope the public will help magnify our calls for safety in the care and classroom environments.”
For years, front line SEIU-West members have been bringing their safety concerns to their MLAs, Ministers in charge of health care and education, and even the Premier. Despite this, recent provincial budgets have failed to address the chronic understaffing issues in these sectors.
“Between the higher workloads, more complex care, and fewer staff to work, our health care system, our education sector and our community based sectors are in crisis,” continued Cape. “Our members are working crushing amounts of overtime because employers have adopted ‘non-replacement’ policies as cost-cutting measures. We need to stop this cycle.”
“We’ve seen more than one budget where the government has put front line public sector worker compensation last while they give themselves raises,” added Cape. “It is simply not fair. MLAs gave themselves a 3.5% pay hike last year, and then a further 2.3% cost of living increase this year. Meanwhile, during these same years, the government has been offering zeroes to the people doing the heavy lifting in health care and education.”
SEIU-West welcomes the support from the many communities where our members work.
Visit EndUnderstaffing.ca to find out more about this issue and to send a letter to decision makers.
SEIU-West represents over 13,000 people across Saskatchewan. They include people who work in health care, education, municipalities, community-based organizations, retirement homes and other sectors. They are joined by one colour – purple – and one union – SEIU-West. Purple works in our communities! Visit PurpleWorks.ca to find out more about SEIU-West members.
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For more information, contact:
Karman Kawchuk, Research Coordinator Phone: 306-652-1011 ext. 2232
Click here for a printable PDF of MEDIA RELEASE - End Understaffing: Be Fair to Those Who Care
Win of the Week! June 23-29
Last week, we announced our win for Best Website Redesign, awarded by the Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM). This week, we particularly proud to announce our Honourable Mention of the Ed Finn Award for Excellence in Writing. This submission was written by member Teegan Hunter, Security Officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). She wrote an incredibly moving story, titled ‘Humboldt Strong.’ The whole health care team contributed significantly throughout the Humboldt tragedy, and this member story is a glimpse to the resilience of this amazing community we call home. The CALM judges agreed by awarding this submission its honourable mention and said: “For a heartfelt story that takes us through the heartbreak of supporting families, friends and communities not just because the job requires it, but also reminding us that we are all called to serve each other.” Thank you to Teegan and the entire health care team for your hard work and dedication to our communities. To read Teegan’s submission, click here.