On International Workers’ Day, we are reminded of the power of workers organizing for labour rights and economic justice. CUPE Saskatchewan joins in solidarity with workers and their unions around the world actively engaged in collective bargaining and striking, mobilizing and empowering workers, and organizing for fair wages, safer and better working conditions, and stronger public services!

At a time of a growing cost of living crisis and after years of public services being long starved of funds, understaffed, and public service workers undervalued, now is the time for all workers to remain united – and to support fellow unions in their bargaining and strikes! Unions raise the bar for everyone!

The right to strike is a fundamental human right of all workers in all sectors of the economy – especially so in the public sector as workers collectively bargain with governments as the employer and funder of public services.

May Day is a time to reflect on the power of workers’ solidarity and how, through unions, workers have fought and won hard, enduring struggles to establish collective bargaining and democracy in the workplace to bring decency, fairness, and safety standards to our work.

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April 28 is the annual National Day of Mourning for Workers to remember those who tragically lost their lives on the job and to recognize those who endured an injury or acquired an illness or disease as a result of their work. Sadly, 39 workers in Saskatchewan lost their lives because of work-related incidents last year in 2022, not including farm-related fatalities or other workplaces that are not covered or reported by workers’ compensation.

We mourn and remember the CUPE members who died because of work in 2022:

• Sherri Anne D’Amour, CUPE 5167, Ontario
• Michael Boulanger, CUPE 4705, Ontario
• Wilmer Gonzalez, CUPE 2740, Saskatchewan
• Gérald Gauthier, CUPE 375, Québec

These anniversaries highlight the importance of advocating for improved workers’ rights to safe working conditions – and to ensure employers and governments are held accountable for work-related injuries, illness and death. The Workers’ Day of Mourning was created by CUPE members more than 40 years ago to remember those who lost their lives on the job and to inspire other workers to fight to prevent further tragedies.

As trade unionists, we also know the importance of holding employers accountable to recognize and address the impacts of systemic understaffing – including the resulting stress and over work on the health of public service workers, the need to address and prevent exposure to violence on the job, and the importance of a psychologically safe working conditions and the prevention of mental health injuries. The health and safety of workers includes the prevention of mental health injuries from work, the prevention of suicide, and recognizing psychosocial hazards.

Attend a vigil in your community on Friday, April 28, 2023.

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April 22 is Earth Day – a day to recognize the climate change emergency and the action needed to restore our earth. With the world continuing to head for a catastrophic temperature rise and human caused destruction threatening the earth’s ecosystems needed to sustain life, Earth Day 2023 is an important time to renew our resolve to demand more urgent environmental action from governments, employers and within our communities in the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Action to restore our damaged ecosystems and urgently shifting to a more equitable, sustainable economy will safeguard our health in the future and that of our only planet.

2023 is the second Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, which aims to halt the already significant degradation of ecosystems and achieve global goals of restoration on every continent and in every ocean. We are experiencing a dangerous decline in nature, and humans are causing it. The decade coincides with the deadline for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and timeline identified by scientists as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

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It’s time to make noise for public education! CUPE members, including dedicated CUPE education support workers, are joining with Saskatchewan’s teachers, parents and concerned citizens at an upcoming rally for the future of public education.

Let’s tell the government it’s time to stop the cuts and start investing in public education! Join us at the rally – and bring your friends and family!

• WHAT: Rally for Public Education
• WHEN: Saturday, April 29, 2023, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
• WHERE: Saskatchewan Legislative Building, Regina

Click here to share the Facebook event for the rally on April 29, 2023.

Click here for the rally poster. 

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Cuts in provincial budget could lead to job losses, tuition hikes

Despite announcing a billion-dollar surplus in their budget last month, the Sask. Party government is cutting university funding this year by more than 3% – continuing a decade-long trend of cuts and underfunding that has led to budget cuts and tuition hikes at Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions.

While the government claims that they’ve increased funding for post-secondary education, budget Estimates reveal that universities, federated and affiliated colleges will receive $431.8 million in operating grants 2023-24 – a funding cut of $14.1 million or 3.2%. Over the past decade, funding for the sector has decreased by a total of $41 million or 8.7% compared to the 2013-14 provincial budget.

“This is absolutely the wrong direction for our province to be going in,” said Judy Henley, President of CUPE Saskatchewan. “Investing in post-secondary education is investing in the future of our province, and our universities and colleges are vital to growing our economy and retaining skilled workers. At a time when we’re facing a record surplus, we should be investing in our post-secondary institutions, not making cuts.”

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Minister acknowledges only 17 more CCAs are working in the province after promising to add 300 new positions.

Despite promising to hire hundreds of Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) as part of their 2020 re-election campaign, numbers revealed by the Minister for Seniors show that the Sask. Party government has made almost no progress on hiring in nearly three years.

During the 2020 provincial election, the Sask. Party committed to hiring 300 more CCAs, promising one new care assistant for every 50 residents of long-term care facilities across the province. When questioned by the Official Opposition during legislative proceedings earlier this week, Minister Everett Hindley acknowledged that there were only 17 more full-time CCAs working in the province from the 2019-20 to 2021-22 fiscal years.

“These numbers prove what our members have been experiencing daily as long-term care facilities remain understaffed and workers are run off their feet doing their best to provide quality care for residents,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430. “It’s obvious that the government has not been hiring CCAs, and by the Minister’s own admission, it’s clear that this is yet another broken promise from the Sask. Party government.”

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Are you interested in serving on the Executive Board of CUPE Saskatchewan? Express your interest and apply by no later than noon on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. CUPE members in good standing of affiliated Local Unions are eligible to apply. Click here to apply.

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Three unions representing workers at over 70 community-based organizations (CBOs) across the province are condemning the provincial budget for yet again failing to meet the needs of Saskatchewan’s most vulnerable residents.

On March 22, the Government of Saskatchewan announced an increase of $17.6 million to CBOs in the province—funding that is much needed but not nearly enough, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West), and the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU). The unions renewed their call for adequate, multi-year funding that will allow CBOs to reliably support their communities.

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The Sask. Party government has signed a $6 million agreement with a Calgary based for-profit corporation, Canadian Surgery Solutions, to provide an undisclosed number of surgeries to Saskatchewan residents. Canadian Surgery Solutions is part of a national network of for-profit private surgical clinics owned by Kensington Capital Partners Limited, an investment firm with $2.6 billion in assets under management.

“Contracting out surgeries is not a silver bullet for wait times. It is a costly scheme with little evidence it will reduce overall wait times,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430. “If the Sask. Party government can afford to ship people out of province for surgeries, they can afford to invest in public solutions.”

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The Ministry of Education budget breakdown shows that the operational funding for school divisions does not keep up with inflation, and in many cases school divisions will be facing cuts.

“The government is quick to brag that funding for education has never been higher. But an increase of 2.5 percent does not come close to covering inflationary and enrolment increases. Four school divisions are seeing outright funding cuts at a time where the province has a $1 billion surplus,” said Omar Murray, chair of CUPE Saskatchewan’s Education Workers’ Steering Committee. “It is unacceptable. Northwest School Division will see a 0.4% cut, Light of Christ, and Holy Family both saw cuts of 1.1% and 0.9% respectively, and Sun West School Division is faced with a whopping 6.2% cut.”

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