Today, CUPE 5430 President Bashir Jalloh and executive members joined health care workers at a bargaining information rally at the Yorkton Regional Hospital to raise awareness about the crisis in health care and to pressure the provincial government to provide a fair deal at the bargaining table.
Saskatoon Public Library employees, represented by CUPE 2669 have voted 95% in favour of job action, up to and including a full withdrawal of services. After months of bargaining, negotiations have broken down over wages and the employer’s refusal to address serious safety concerns in the workplace.
“The Premier has had enough chances – it’s time to fire Scott Moe”
At a meeting of over 70 local presidents and executives representing 31,000 members, Saskatchewan’s largest union launched its Time for Change Tour – its biggest-ever summer of outreach to mobilize members and encourage Saskatchewan people to vote for change in this year’s election and fire Scott Moe.
“No one left behind: equality, freedom and justice for all” is the 2024 theme and focus of the annual observance on May 17 of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
This year’s theme emphasizes what union members know well: that solidarity is paramount in defending and advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and safety, and ending all forms of hate, discrimination and oppression.
In response to a letter the Minister of Health has been sharing with health care workers, CUPE 5430 President Bashir Jalloh penned an open letter to condemn the dismissive and problematic message from the Minister.
“We met with the Minister and shared our cost-of-living report. The findings were crystal clear – health care workers are struggling and need help,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430. “It’s incredibly frustrating that the Minister not only chose not to listen but is now writing health care workers to minimize their concerns and suggest that his government has done enough to address the cost-of-living crisis. That is unequivocally not the case.”
With Pride month just a couple weeks away, CUPE Saskatchewan proudly announces its support for the recent decision by Queen City Pride to ban Scott Moe and the Sask. Party government from their pride month celebrations and calls on Saskatchewan organizations to speak up and declare where they stand: with 2SLGBTQI+ people and their families, or with Scott Moe and his hatred for queer and transgender people.
“Scott Moe is a threat to all queer and trans people,” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “We stand in solidarity with Queen City Pride and all pride groups across the province that decide to ban Scott Moe for the safety of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
When workers organize and unite, we can make real gains for fairness, dignity, and advance justice. CUPE Saskatchewan joins in solidarity with workers and their unions around the world actively engaged in collective bargaining and strikes, mobilizing and empowering workers to take political action, and organizing for fair wages, safer and better working conditions, and stronger public services! The Labour Movement is the bedrock of just and democratic societies.
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. In 2023, 29 workers in Saskatchewan lost their lives because of work-related incidents, not including farm-related fatalities or other workplaces that are not covered or reported by workers’ compensation. We also mourn the loss of two members of the CUPE family: Jennifer Doucette, CUPE 1630 in Manitoba and Steven Seekins, CUPE 374 in British Columbia.
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 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.
A new research report into the state of rural health care in Saskatchewan confirms what CUPE already knew – rural health care is in crisis and patients and health care workers are paying the price.
The new research report from the University of Regina’s Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), “The Current State of Health Care in Saskatchewan,” highlighted concerning statistics on the state of rural health care: