Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

Your CUPE Bargaining Committee resumed collective bargaining with SAHO July 4-6, 2017 in Saskatoon.

CUPE told SAHO that there is absolutely no justification for the provincial government’s draconian mandate of a 3.5 per cent reduction in public sector compensation costs followed by three years of zero per cent increases. Your Bargaining Committee provided SAHO with a list of positive economic and financial indicators, most of which are highlighted by the Government of Saskatchewan’s own news releases and provincial budget.

REGINA: The CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council has released a report which indicates that increased workload and understaffing of medical technologists and technicians are putting them under extreme pressure and could compromise patient care. CUPE medical technologists and technicians provide essential services such as prepping medication, providing blood tests, X-rays, CT and MRI scans, and other diagnostic tests.

The report, titled Under Pressure: Report on the Workload of CUPE Medical Technologists and Technicians in Saskatchewan, is based on an intensive online survey of CUPE members who work as medical technologists and technicians.

CUPE Local 5999 hosted Estevan’s first ever National Aboriginal Day celebration. The event featured a free barbeque lunch, Aboriginal dances, and many community tables. The event was open to everyone in the community.

“Our union is proud to celebrate National Aboriginal Day and to host this event in Estevan,” said Wanda Edwards, acting president of CUPE Local 5999. “Today and every day it is important to celebrate the vibrant and unique cultures of Indigenous peoples and to commit to the reconciliation process.”

National Aboriginal Day is time to celebrate the vibrant and unique cultures of Indigenous peoples, as First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities graciously share their ceremonies, customs and heritage with us all.

It is also a time for us to recommit ourselves to promoting truth and reconciliation. Canadians must fully and openly recognize the historical and ongoing harm Canada has inflicted through its failed policies and laws to assimilate Indigenous peoples. We must respect the rights of Indigenous peoples to their traditional and unceded territories, and we must acknowledge their histories on these lands – histories that date back far beyond 150 years.

 Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

Your CUPE Bargaining Committee resumed collective bargaining with SAHO June 13-14, 2017.

Once again, CUPE strongly urged SAHO to reconsider the sweeping list of concessions they have tabled in this round of bargaining. Your Bargaining Committee told the employer that SAHO’s package is not respectful of our members and that it would take us backwards, not forward. 

First ever health care council telephone town hall huge success

Over 1,000 health care providers participated in the CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council’s first ever telephone town hall.

This innovative technology allowed for the council to invite every member with a working phone number to a one hour meeting about bargaining. Participants heard updates from president, Sandra Seitz, and CUPE health care coordinator, Patty Brockman.

Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

Your CUPE Bargaining Committee resumed collective bargaining with SAHO May 30-31 and June 1, 2017 in Regina.

As reported in our last communique, SAHO tabled a common proposal package with CUPE, SEIU-West, and SGEU which contains a sweeping list of concessions and takeaways.

SAHO’s bargaining package sets out a four-year collective agreement that includes an overall reduction in compensation costs of 4.09 percent. This includes a wage rollback of one percent in 2017-2018 and three consecutive years of zero percent increases. SAHO was clear with the Provider Coalition that the wage reduction in the first year could be higher if SAHO’s monetary concessions are removed from the table. More details on SAHO’s proposals can be found in our document CUPE Health Care Bargaining: Understanding the Proposals, which can be found on our website.

Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

Your CUPE Bargaining Committee and our Provider Coalition partners commenced collective bargaining with SAHO on May 25, 2017 in Regina.

SAHO tabled a common proposal package with CUPE, SEIU-West, and SGEU. The parties then broke off to their individual tables, where each union tabled its own proposal package with a separate SAHO bargaining committee.

We can confirm that we are in for a very tough round of bargaining. SAHO’s proposal package includes numerous monetary concessions that are reflective of the provincial government’s mandate of a 3.5 per cent reduction in public sector compensation costs for 2017-2018, followed by three years of consecutive zero per cent increases.

Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

The CUPE Health Care Council and our Provider Coalition partners met with representatives of SAHO on May 3, 2017 to finalize the bargaining logistics meeting that was cut short on March 7.

The following dates have been confirmed for collective bargaining: May 25, 30, 31, June 1, 13, and 14.

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

The 20th Annual CUPE Health Care Council of Unions Conference was held from May 16 to 18, 2017 in Regina, Saskatchewan.  Elections were held for the position of President and Recording Secretary; both positions are for a two year term.

  1. Saskatchewan should learn from Nova Scotia’s issues with health authority merger and consult more, says visiting CUPE leader
  2. CUPE Health Care Council elects new president
  3. National Nursing Week
  4. Member Communique: Bargaining association proposal tabled with Ministry of Health
  5. National Medical Laboratory Week 2017