Coalition Bargaining Committees Reject SAHO’s Bully Tactics

Dear Health Care Member:

Your coalition bargaining committees were asked to return to the bargaining table with SAHO, and agreed to do so, on February 8, 2019. The provider unions were ready to negotiate. The only outstanding item was a fair and reasonable wage increase. In December, a substantial amount of members told their bargaining committees SAHO’s final wage offer of (0%, 0%, 1%, 2%) was neither reasonable nor acceptable. Your bargaining committees conveyed that message to SAHO.

SAHO and the employer committee responded with an ultimatum. They said accept the wage offer (0%, 0%, 1%, 2%) by noon on February 15, 2019 OR the items that have been agreed to in principle and the wage offer will disappear. They were specific that the provider unions would be faced with the initial SAHO and employer rollback proposals and their proposed cuts to get to -3.5%.

Of course, the provider unions were extremely provoked by SAHO’s response. The committees felt SAHO’s strong arm tactics were just like schoolyard bullying, such as ‘give me your lunch money or you will get beat up’. These tactics are not good faith bargaining. It seems SAHO and the employer are not truly trying to reach a collective agreement. SAHO’s response is not moving the parties closer together. In fact, their response is moving negotiations backwards to the place we were over a year ago.

back to bargainingYour CUPE 5430 bargaining committee with be joining with our coalition partners, SGEU and SEIU-West, will resume bargaining with SAHO this Friday, February 8 in Saskatoon. Show your support and wear CUPE in the workplace, and stay tuned for updates. 

Upcoming JJEMC Reviews

 

 

Do you work in the following classifications:

  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist II
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist I
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist Supervisor
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist & Instructor
  • Nuclear Radiation Safety Officer
  • Nuclear Medicine Imaging Information System Technologist
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist - Specialty (PET/CT)
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist - Specialty (PET/CT) Supervisor

If you do you should know that the Joint Job Evaluation Maintenance Committee has initiated a provincial review for those job descriptions. You should expect to have the Employer give you the Provincial Review Process Form, the Provincial Job Fact Sheet and Provincial Review Instructions by February 19, 2019. These documents would have to be returned to the out of scope supervisor by March 19, 2019.

Member Communique: Security Service Review

On February 4, 2019 the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) released the final report from their province-wide security review. The report outlines 27 recommendations for a centrally-managed security services program.

The review was conducted by external consultant Tony Weeks from BigLeap Consultation and Advisory Services.

CUPE wants to acknowledge the vital role security service members play in keeping patients and our co-workers safe.

On January 24, 2019, CUPE Local 5430 organized a standing room only town hall meeting in Grenfell to talk about the closure of Grenfell Pioneer Home and the impact the loss of jobs and residents has had on the community. Speakers included NDP MLA and health critic Vicki Mowat, NDP seniors’ critic Danielle Chartier, CUPE 5430 President Sandra Seitz and community residents Lois Warner and Joyce Maier. The event was emceed by Region 3 General Vice President Scott McDonald.

Speaking on behalf of CUPE, Seitz spoke eloquently about the need to invest in long-term care.

Upcoming JJEMC Reviews

Do you work in the following classifications: Head Cook; Cook, Assistant Cook and or Baker?

You should know that the Joint Job Evaluation Maintenance Committee has initiated a provincial review for those job descriptions. You should expect to have the Employer give you the Provincial Review Process Form, the Provincial Job Fact Sheet and Provincial Review Instructions by February 5, 2019. These documents would have to be returned to the out of scope supervisor by March 5, 2019

CUPE Local 5430 members Workload Concerns

On January 18, 2019 representatives from CUPE Local 5430 met with Greg Ottenbreit, Yorkton MLA and Minister for Rural and Remote Health to discuss our concerns with workload and chronic under-staffing.

The delegation submitted close to 1,500 postcards calling for the province to address workload by:

  • Ensuring staff are replaced when sick or on leave;
  • Improving shift schedules to reduce on-call work;
  • Increasing funding for frontline staff;
  • Having meaningful discussion with health care unions about staff, resources, recruitment, and retention (especially in rural Saskatchewan).