The University of Saskatchewan has lost their battle to take the right to strike away from hundreds of workers on campus. That was the result of a ruling released today by the Essential Service Tribunal between CUPE Local 1975 and the University of Saskatchewan.

“This ruling is more proof that the university needs to stop talking out of both sides of their mouths,” said Craig Hannah, President of CUPE Local 1975 which represents over 2,000 support workers at the university. “At the tribunal they argued that hundreds of people should lose their Charter rights because their work is ‘essential.’ Meanwhile, at the bargaining table, they’re showing how little they really value these workers and the important contribution they make to the campus and everyone here.”

This tribunal was the first time the Sask. Party’s newest essential services legislation was fully tested. The university had asked for over 250 positions to be declared essential. Instead, the ruling included just over 40.

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(Moose Jaw) Instead of working to come to an agreement, the government has allowed negotiations between the Public Service Commission and CUPE Local 600 to come to an impasse. The union represents close to 385 Social Services and Central Services workers across the province who help to deliver frontline care and support to the most vulnerable people in Saskatchewan. The local has been without a collective agreement for almost two years.

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National Indigenous Peoples Day is an annual opportunity to honour and celebrate the diverse cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. On June 21, Indigenous peoples will be celebrating in their communities, and graciously sharing their ceremonies, customs and heritage with people across the country.

• In Estevan, join us for a Community BBQ with free food and entertainment. *Rain location Estevan Curling Rink* from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• In Saskatoon, join us for the Rock Your Roots Walk. Meet up with the CUPE group at 9 a.m. at Victoria Park. Walk departs at 9:30 a.m.

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After two years of attempting to negotiate with an employer that has been stalling and demanding significant concessions, CUPE Local 1949, which represents the more than 130 lawyers and administrative staff who work at Saskatchewan Legal Aid offices across the province advised the Minister of Labour that negotiations have reached an impasse.

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CUPE is proud to support the Brighter Future education survey launched by Saskatchewan’s NDP yesterday.

“This survey will amplify the voices of students, families, and the people who work in and around Saskatchewan’s schools and help to lay out the roadmap to rebuilding the education system,” said Jackie Christianson, Chairperson of the CUPE SK Education Workers Steering Committee. “While the government is ignoring the facts, we’re happy to see the NDP is listening to not only hear the problems but also build the solutions.”

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A new ratified agreement between the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners and workers represented by CUPE takes important steps forward and extends through 2020.

“Although our members don’t patrol the streets, they are an integral part of the Moose
Jaw Police Service. We take pride in the work they do to help keep Moose Jaw safe,”
said Stacey Landin President of CUPE Local 9, which represents police support
workers in Moose Jaw. “Sask. Party cuts to municipalities are still hurting all services
but the pay increases we were able to get are a good start.”

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June is Pride month. As Saskatchewan’s community union, CUPE proudly celebrates diversity and the role unions play in making our country a more fair and inclusive place for everyone. In the workplace and in our communities, unions are at the forefront in protecting LGBTQ2s+ workers from discrimination and harassment, advancing human rights, promoting inclusion, and securing dignity and equality for all workers through collective bargaining and political action.

Join CUPE at a PRIDE parade near you!

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Community workers represented by SGEU, SEIU-West, and CUPE Saskatchewan are asking Saskatchewan people to lend their voices in support of their call on the Saskatchewan government to provide multi-year funding to our province’s Community-Based Organizations (CBOs).

“CBOs provide vital services to some of the most vulnerable people in our province,” says SGEU President Bob Bymoen. “Despite this, our CBO sector has been shamefully underfunded for decades. It’s time for government to ensure that stable programming and adequate staffing levels are available to meet the diverse needs of Saskatchewan people.”

CBO workers care for people living with disabilities, respond to domestic violence calls, engage in suicide intervention, provide emergency child care, help people find employment, and more. Since December 2012, the Saskatchewan government has had a scatter-shot approach to budgeting in the CBO sector, but this inconsistent funding model is not enabling CBOs to provide stable, reliable programming for Saskatchewan’s most vulnerable people.

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This week, families across Saskatoon learned that the Sask. Party’s refusal to properly fund Saskatchewan’s classrooms is again causing more support workers to be taken out of their children’s schools and thrown out of work.

On top of cuts to teacher-librarian and other teaching positions, 16 secretaries in elementary schools across Saskatoon Public Schools are being laid off and will apparently be replaced by “absence reporting software.”

“The people who work in and out of classrooms are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re committed members of the school community and an important part of our young people’s education,” said Scott Barrett, President of CUPE Local 8443, representing 1,100 support workers in public schools across Saskatoon. “When you take these people out of our schools, all students suffer. Workload becomes an issue as well. The work to support classrooms doesn’t just go away when you take away crucial support staff. It inevitably means all students get less support in the classroom. All our support reinforce the classroom in one form or another.”

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CUPE Saskatchewan joins the Labour Movement in commemorating 100 years since the Winnipeg General Strike.

Telephone calls in the city of Winnipeg went unanswered and patched through in the morning of May 15, 1919. Women telephone operators would be the first among many brave workers to walk off the job and withdraw their labour in solidarity for a greater cause. By 11 a.m., Winnipeg was grinding to a halt as courageous workers, both unionized and those not represented by a union, walked off the job with their fellow co-workers in numbers that grew up to more than an estimated 35,000 people strong. The strikers and supporters demanded living wages and the recognized right to collectively bargain better pay and conditions from their employers and government. This historic mass demonstration in Canada’s history, known as the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, lasted six weeks and ushered in a legacy of reforms, labour rights, social programs and subsequent hard-fought gains made by workers organizing together in unions. It made clear that workers have power when they stand together in solidarity. While the strike ended in violence and repression, its legacy lives on and the courage of those who risked their livelihoods and life for a better world should not be forgotten.

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