December 20, 2024
Sisters, Brothers, and Friends,
Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee met with SAHO on December 2nd and 3rd in Saskatoon.
Your committee reviewed the full proposal package. We were able to reach agreement to maintain Letters of Understanding in the collective agreement that deal with matters such as:
- the Joint Job Evaluation (JJE) and Maintenance process
- apprenticeship
- the review of Technologist and Technician classifications
- grandfathering the rights of employees who opted out of the pension plan when it was introduced.
We have made counterproposals related to matters such as:
- recognition and jurisdiction of the union
- movement of our members within the SHA
- improving the way we manage the grievance process.
However, we must report that there is little to no significant movement or agreement on articles that would improve the wages or working conditions of healthcare members. That is not acceptable for SEIU-West members!
Your bargaining committee has discussed how it seems that the bargaining strategy of SAHO and the SHA is to frustrate you and turn your focus away from standing together to fight together for a fair, reasonable, and acceptable collective agreement.
We met with SAHO to propose the parties focus on negotiating a monetary settlement and revisit the language issues after the compensation parts get ratified. We met with the other healthcare provider unions to discuss strategies to achieve more positive and timely results at each of our bargaining tables.
We heard you loud and clear during the information meetings during October: you are tired of waiting for the Employer to propose a fair collective agreement. You want (and deserve) a raise that significantly improves your ability to live and work in Saskatchewan.
Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee next meets with SAHO and the Employer in January. We believe there needs to be a significant change in the speed of bargaining and there needs to be tangible results.
We continue to gather data in preparation for essential services negotiations in the new year.
It is now more important than ever that all of our members, and especially the broader public, are aware of the challenges we face, and support the reasonable solutions we are proposing. To that end, SEIU-West members across the province are holding information pickets at their facilities. We have had pickets in Eston and Moose Jaw, and plans are in place for pickets in the new year in Saskatoon, Leader, and Swift Current.
Check the Events page of our website for upcoming pickets. Join one of the lines on your lunch break to build the movement for a fair deal for healthcare workers! Talk your unit’s chair or internal organizer about organizing an info-picket at your facility! Encourage your coworkers, family, and friends to attend. Check out our Facebook page and in our weekly updates for pictures from the line!
If you have collective agreement questions or issues, contact the Member Resource Center at 1-888-999-7348 ext 1, email [email protected], or complete the Contact Us form on our website, www.seiuwest.ca.
In Solidarity on behalf of the SEIU-West Bargaining Committee
Barbara Cape
President
SEIU-West
Your SEIU-West SAHO Provincial Bargaining Committee:
CHR: Janice Platzke (SEIU-West Treasurer) • FHHR: Brenda Berry, Barbara Bubyn • HHR: Colleen Denniss • SHR: Rhonda Bzdel, Chris Clark, Jeanne Javinal, Carla Saworski, Charlene Sarafin • Extendicare: Kevin Martin • Staff: Bob Laurie (Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement), Russell Doell (Deputy Dir. of Bargaining and Contract Enforcement • President: Barbara Cape