Date: October 9, 2025
Sisters, Brothers, and Friends,
Your SEIU-West Bargaining Committee met with the SAHO Bargaining Committee on October 6, 7, and 8, 2025.
The parties continued to discuss proposals relating to the grievance/arbitration process and procedures. The parties have agreed in principle to most of Articles 7 and 8 and there are only minor differences in the remaining language. We have agreed in principle to new and amended definitions, including how the new definitions will be applied. The committees continue work on clarifying language in extended shift agreements, vacation language, and scope/seniority issues.
However, agreement continues to elude the parties regarding proposals where the SEIU-West Bargaining Committee continues to maintain its enhanced or improved Collective Agreement language. SEIU-West Bargaining Committee proposals regarding, for example, compensation to members for medical notes, cell phone expenses, and personal property loss usage are rejected by the Employer.
The Committee identified an issue to the SAHO committee regarding vacation requests. Members are to receive a response to a “first-come, first -serve” vacation request within seven days of the submission of the request. The Committee has heard there are instances where no Employer response is provided, thereby placing vacation planning in limbo. We have proposed that in instances where the Employer has not or will not respond within the seven-day time period, the vacation is automatically granted. The Employer does not want there to be any penalty for violating the Collective Agreement by not replying.
One of the issues perplexing vacation scheduling is the “how-many-off-at-a-time” rule. The Collective Agreement sets out that the Employer will post guidelines it relies on in responding to employee requests for vacation dates or periods. The Union committee understands some guidelines deal with vacation only, some cover off any absence, including vacation, some guidelines are not posted yet are relied on, and some guidelines prominently feature the word “No”, without explanation or evidence of reasonable consideration by the Employer.
Does your department, agency, or facility have posted guidelines around vacation requests? Do the guidelines cover off any/all employee time off? If so, do they separate out vacation requests from other employee time off (e.g. sick, DIP, WCB, union leave, etc.)? Please contact the Member Resource Centre (MRC) and let them know.
The Provider Unions are headed to the Common Table to commence those negotiations starting the week of October 20. SAHO and the Employers have agreed that the unions will bring their remaining outstanding individual proposals to be negotiated at each union’s individual table during common table discussions. All the participants have mutually agreed to a meeting schedule of every other week from October to February.
SEIU-West continues its essential services negotiation preparations. Should the common table negotiations not be fruitful, your union will be ready to go with its strategies to insist on a good Collective Agreement deal for you.
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
Lisa Zunti
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: Lisa Zunti
Click here for a printable version of this bargaining update.
