News

It’s now official. Saskatchewan’s five CUPE health care locals will be merging into one CUPE provincial health union of over 13,600 members.

The final two merger votes were held August 14. Members of Local 4980 (Sunrise Health Region) voted with a 91 percent majority to merge with other CUPE health care locals in the province, while members of Local 3967 (Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region) backed the merger with 69 percent voting in favour.

Members of the three other CUPE health care locals representing health services providers also endorsed the merger earlier this summer.

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.

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 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.

Regina - Bev Strachan, the president of CUPE 8920, who represents health care workers in Nova Scotia, is in Saskatchewan sharing her experience with Nova Scotia’s rushed health authority merger.

In April 2015, the Nova Scotia government created one provincial health authority. A recent paper written by a group of medical professionals said the new superboard “isn’t agile enough to respond to local needs and is subject to political interference.”

REGINA: Today, delegates at the annual CUPE Health Care Council Conference elected Weyburn resident Sandra Seitz as the new president for the CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council.

Seitz is the president of CUPE Local 5999 and has been involved with the CUPE Health Care Council since 2003. She started her career as a continuing care aid at Tatagwa View long term care facility. She has been active with the union for 30 years and is passionate about health and safety, tackling workload, and improving public health care for everyone.

CUPE Member Communique

 

CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council of Unions

CUPE Locals 3967, 4777, 4980, 5111, and 5999

January 5, 2017

Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

The Government of Saskatchewan has announced it plans to dissolve the current 12 health regions and replace these with one health region superboard in the fall of 2017.

When the announcement was made publicly on January 4th, it was the first CUPE had heard about the government’s plan, and few details were provided at the time. We are still working on understanding the full impacts of this decision on the workforce, and we anticipate future meetings with the Ministry of Health.

Member Communique

Dear CUPE Health Care Member:

The CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council is working with Viewpoints Research to conduct a member survey to hear from you about bargaining priorities and overall satisfaction with your union. Your participation will give us direction on priorities over the next round of bargaining.

REGINA: CUPE has serious concerns about how the creation of one province-wide health care superboard will impact workers, patients, and quality of care.

“Health care restructuring will disrupt the established systems and relationships of providing health care in the province,” said Gordon Campbell, president of CUPE Health Care Council. “Today’s announcement creates more uncertainty for frontline workers and for rural communities across Saskatchewan. It is also questionable that any cost savings will result.”