Over 175 workers at Brightwater Senior Living of Capital Crossing in Regina are the latest members to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Brightwater Senior Living of Capital Crossing is a retirement community offering housing with healthcare services. Staff members include charge nurses, medication assistants, housekeepers, receptionists, engagement specialists, kitchen staff, and resident assistants.

The newest members of CUPE voted to join the union in a mail-in ballot that was counted on June 2, 2022. The Labour Relations Board issued the certification order on June 14, 2022.

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School divisions across the province have announced programmatic cuts and layoffs. On June 14, 2022, CUPE education workers met with the Minister of Education to demand an increase in education funding.

“Investing in education is an investment in Saskatchewan’s future. The current provincial funding levels are forcing school divisions to make cuts,” said Rob Westfield, chair of CUPE Saskatchewan’s Education Workers’ Steering Committee. “Our kids deserve better. We implore the Government of Saskatchewan to take immediate action to increase public education funding so our kids can access the supports they need to succeed in the 2022/23 school year.”

Westfield was joined by education workers from the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division, Good Spirit School Division, Chinook School Division, and South East Cornerstone Public School Division.

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School divisions across the province are struggling with funding shortfalls. We already see the impacts: Layoffs. Cuts to hours for support staff. Loss of specialists. Larger class sizes across the province. And more cuts are on the way.

Enough is enough. Sign the petition and send a message!

Every letter sent will amplify our message: It’s not too late for the Sask. Party government to do the right thing before publicly funded school divisions finalize their own budgets.

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Saskatchewan’s largest union has launched a new documentary about the threats facing our public services from cuts and privatization. You can watch the full documentary, Meeting Human Needs – The fight for Saskatchewan’s public services, here:

Since 2007, the Saskatchewan Party government has sold over $1.2 billion in public assets and eliminated at least 1,227 public sector jobs via privatization and contracting out. The film, which was produced by Campaign Gears and Left Field Digital, looks at the loss of STC, the challenges with the Sask Hospital P3 and the ongoing erosion on public health care.

Together, we can fight to protect Saskatchewan’s public services.

• Take Action: Send a message to Scott Moe and your MLA to demand an end to all privatization.

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The Ministry of Health is conducting a review on the future of virtual health care in Saskatchewan, but CUPE Local 5430 is concerned that this may open the door to further privatization.

“There are many benefits to expanding the role of virtual health care, however, it is critical that the Government of Saskatchewan ensures that virtual care is fully integrated into our public health system,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE Local 5430 and a nuclear medicine technologist. “Given this government’s track record we are concerned that this may open the door to further privatization.”

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Saskatchewan education support workers from eight different school divisions gathered at the Saskatchewan Legislature this week for a Day of Action to demand better funding for education.

“Earlier this year, the government rolled out its “Back on Track” budget. It’s a disastrous budget and a blatant attack on public education,” said Rob Westfield, chair of CUPE Saskatchewan’s Education Workers’ Steering Committee. “The budget does not come close to covering the basic operating costs school boards must budget for and it is the students who will pay the price once again.”

Karla Sastaunik, an education assistant at Good Spirit School Division, was one of the 50 members who were in attendance.

“While this government states it has improved and increased funding to school divisions – it’s all smoke and mirrors. My specific division received a .83% increase but the cost of fuel, the bargained wage increases, and the cost of inflation has risen exponentially. Something has to give, and it has,” said Sastaunik. “I have been doing this work for 35 years and over the years my schedule has been cut from having hours per week to spend with students in a specific class to sometimes only having minutes per week to try and accomplish the same goals,”

Many school divisions have already announced cuts, including Chinook School Division who has laid off 20 teachers and cut hours for all education assistants.

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CUPE Saskatchewan is calling for an immediate increase of the minimum wage in Saskatchewan to $15.00 per hour.

The renewed call comes after the government announced it will increase the minimum wage, but not until October 2022 and only to $13.00 per hour.

“Saskatchewan workers need relief now, not in months or years from now. At $11.81 per hour, full-time workers can’t afford the basic costs of living and are increasingly relying on food banks to feed their families,” said Judy Henley, president of CUPE Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan currently has the lowest minimum wage in Canada at $11.81 per hour, $2.19 short of Canada’s average minimum wage of $14.09 per hour.

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Today on the National Day of Mourning for Workers, we remember and mourn our co-workers, friends, neighbours and loved ones that were killed or injured on the job and those made ill from their work.

Last year, 31 workers in Saskatchewan lost their lives because of work-related incidents. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Saskatchewan’s Occupational Health & Safety Act and the third year the Day of Mourning is observed during an ongoing pandemic. 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 injury, illness and death.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the vigils being held across the province. More information available at: https://sfl.sk.ca/events/international-day-of-mourning

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Henley, incumbent president, health care worker and member of CUPE Local 5430 from Melville, Saskatchewan, has been re-elected as the president of CUPE Saskatchewan.

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CUPE represents over 5,000 municipal workers in 40 locals across Saskatchewan. Among these locals only the Town of Esterhazy is not protected by a collective agreement.

This weekend, Joe Richardson, president of CUPE 5428, joined the Municipal Employees’ Steering Committee (MESC) at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association AGM to demand a fair deal for Esterhazy workers.

“Three years is too long to go without a collective agreement,” said Dylan Breland, Vice-president of CUPE Saskatchewan and a member of the MESC. “We are here today to urge the Town of Esterhazy to make bargaining a first collective agreement a priority. We also want to show the members in Esterhazy that Canada’s largest union has their back.”

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