News

CUPE National Sector Conference in Ottawa was enlightened today by brother Sid Hall on Workload and how it can affect the care we are to provide our deserving residents/patients/clients. 

Thank you Brother Sid

Dear Health Care Member:

Your SEIU-West, CUPE and SGEU bargaining committees met with SAHO in Saskatoon on October 18 and 19 to resume bargaining a fair and equitable collective agreement for all of our members.

We believe two outstanding issues remain: monetary and the Extended Health and Enhanced Dental Plan.

Each health care provider is an important part of the health care team - including continuing care aides, licensed practical nurses, dietary staff, medical diagnostic technologists and technicians, housekeeping and laundry aides, clerical and maintenance staff.

CUPE proudly represents over 13,600 health care providers in Saskatchewan who help ensure high quality care for residents and patients. Celebrate all they bring to public health care during Health Care Providers’ Week!

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On April 10th, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) announced that the decision was made to move all Information Technology (IT) services from the SHA into eHealth Saskatchewan (eHS). This would include moving the entire IT budget of $39 million over to eHS and a plan to abolish IT positions within SHA with the notion of offering employment to all of those positions affected. There were assurances that there were to be no layoffs at this time and no privatization of the services. The Unions were given no idea of what the new structure would look like under eHS.

Since this announcement, CUPE, SGEU and SEIU-West have been working with the SHA, eHS and SGEU (the bargaining unit at eHS) to understand the impacts this transfer will have on our members and where there is the intention to negotiate a transfer agreement that is in our members’ best interests.

This week, the Employer sent a communique to members that contained some misleading information about the state of negotiations around the transfer of employees from the Saskatchewan Health Authority to eHealth. We wanted to send out a communique to clarify what has unfolded in the last six months, and to highlight the outstanding issues.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), Ehealth Saskatchewan (eHS) and the health provider unions, SGEU, SEIU-West and CUPE, met on October 9 and October 12 to continue negotiating the transfer of Information Technology (IT) employees from the SHA to eHS, expected to take place at the end of the year. The negotiations became necessary because of the Government of Saskatchewan’s instructions to the Ministry of Health for the SHA to abolish IT services in the provincial health authority and turn the service over to eHS.

SGEU, SEIU-West and CUPE met with representatives from the Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees’ Pension Plan (SHEPP) the morning of October 12 to discuss options for members relating to their pensions.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has issued layoff notices to 33 workers at the Grenfell Pioneer home, many of whom are members of CUPE Local 5340. The Health Authority is relocating 20 residents of Grenfell Pioneer Home due to the serious nature of mould and asbestos found in the facility.

“There is a lot of uncertainty right now for our members and for the community of Grenfell,” said Sandra Seitz, president of CUPE Local 5430. “The future of the facility in Grenfell is up in the air, as is the job security of many members. This could have been avoided if the Saskatchewan government adequately maintained our health care facilities.”