Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations Inc. (SAHO)

SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 23

Date: June 18, 2021

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

I know it’s hard to believe that we’re still providing bargaining updates, but there have been some matters that we wanted to communicate to our members.

We’ve reviewed and corrected some errors in the wage schedules; provided some edits and corrections to the new collective agreement language; and we are having some issues with last minute additions that SAHO put on the new letters of understanding (LOUs). Normally these are signed by SAHO and SEIU-West’s bargaining team, as the parties to the collective agreement; however, now the Saskatchewan Health Authority has been added as a third signatory.

So why does this matter? SAHO is legally the official and exclusive bargaining agent for the healthcare employers and affiliates listed in the Collective Agreement. What does it mean if one employer now is superior to all the other employers in the collective agreement and enjoys potentially the same bargaining position as SAHO, which is supposed to be the SHA’s bargaining agent? Does this mean that the SHA can now withdraw from the LOU that everyone signed? Does it mean that an LOU signed by more Employer entities than SAHO (a potential violation of the Saskatchewan Employment Act) may be deemed null and void, or does it mean that only the SHA’s participation would be voided? The union has asked SAHO for their opinion on these matters, and awaits their response. 

Beyond that, bargaining and reaching a tentative agreement is predicated on the notion that all issues have been thoroughly canvassed by the parties and there would be no surprises in the final collective agreement document. There was no discussion between the parties at the bargaining table regarding adding a separate signature line for the SHA in our new LOUs, and in the renewal of one particular LOU which sets out the Employer funding formula for the extended health and enhanced dental benefits plan. The union wants to be absolutely sure that this last-minute SAHO amendment to the LOUs will have no effect on the legality of the LOUs or on the commitments made in those LOUs.

While we resolve this issue, the production of the collective agreement books is being delayed.

As an interim measure, please refer to the current collective agreement and read it in conjunction with the language of the tentative agreement. We provided those electronically, and will put a copy on our website. If you want an electronic copy, just use the ‘contact us’ link on the website and we’ll get one in the mail to you. If you wish to check your rate of pay, please call the MRC for assistance.

In solidarity and respect,

Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee

To download a PDF copy of this bulletin, please click here. 

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

SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 22

Date: May 10, 2021

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Your SEIU-West SAHO Bargaining Committee has concluded negotiations regarding a Letter of Understanding (LOU) to transition the SEIU-West seniority system from an hours based system to a seniority date system.

SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 21

Click here to download a printable PDF file of SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 21.

Date: April 8, 2021

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Your SEIU-West bargaining committee continues to work with SAHO and the Employer on the final details related to bargaining: checking to make sure that all of the new or changed language is included in the collective agreement, checking the wage schedules, and managing format and grammar issues.

 

 

FAQ: New Collective Bargaining Agreement SAHO

SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 20

Click here to download a printable PDF file of SAHO/SEIU-West Bargaining Bulletin (2nd edition) No. 20.

Date: January 18, 2021

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Between January 11, 2021 and January 15, 2021, SEIU-West members who work for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) or an Affiliate voted on the question of whether to accept or reject the tentative agreement reached between SEIU-West and SAHO.

Q&A No. 5: SAHO Tentative Agreement Information Sessions

Q&A No. 4: SAHO Tentative Agreement Information Sessions

Q&A NO. 3: SAHO TENTATIVE AGREEMENT INFORMATION SESSIONS

Q&A No. 2: SAHO Tentative Agreement Information Sessions

Media Release: Tentative Agreement Reached - SEIU-West Members to Vote

For Immediate Release - November 20, 2020

Tentative Agreement Reached – SEIU-West Members to Vote

Saskatoon – After over 1300 days without a new collective agreement, SEIU-West members achieved a tentative agreement (TA) with SAHO and the Employers late on Thursday November 19^th.

“Our members have been engaged and vocal and active in sending letters to decision makers and local papers; signing and submitting petitions to the government; holding physically distanced public #DoneWaiting demonstrations; and meeting with their MLAs (prior to the pandemic). All of these actions have made a difference in getting us to this point,” says Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West. “Bargaining in the midst of a worldwide pandemic has been challenging. For the SEIU-West bargaining committee, ensuring the work our members do on the front line of this pandemic is recognized has been our priority."