The Regina Public School Board has refused to meet with members of CUPE Local 3766 to talk about the high levels of violence members are facing.

The results from CUPE’s new violence in the workplace survey, called At the Breaking Point, shows that workers at Regina Public Schools are facing higher incidents of violence in the workplace in comparison to their provincial counterparts.

The CUPE Local 3766 executive requested a meeting on December 17th, in closed session with the Regina Public School Board Trustees, to have discussions on the survey results and the root causes.

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A new report sponsored by CUPE Local 5430 shines a light on the Sask Party’s failure to properly plan for, or invest in, Saskatchewan’s long-term care system.

The report, entitled Crumbling Away: Saskatchewan’s Long-Term Residential Care Policy and Its Consequences was written by Dr. Susan Braedley, Tara McWhinney, Asia Barclay and Kiersten Jensen of Carleton University.

“Our analysis shows that over the last decade, despite demographic trends that predict needs for more capacity, Saskatchewan long-term care policies have both reduced the number of beds available and eroded service provision by removing staffing requirements that allow for dedicated care hours per resident,” said Dr Susan Braedley, an associate professor at Carleton University. “Failures to plan for and dedicate sufficient funding to replacing, renovating, repairing and maintaining the physical infrastructure of publicly owned and operated Special Care Homes, have left the sector in disrepair, and literally crumbling away.”

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Frontline workers representing CUPE, SEIU-West and SGEU were at the Saskatchewan Legislature today to present petitions calling for multi-year funding for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). Nicole Rancourt, NDP MLA for Prince Albert Northcote and Opposition Critic for Social Services and Community-Based Organizations, introduced the petition with over 1,300 signatures gathered from residents across the province. Rancourt also pressed the government on the issue during question period.

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Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees are raising alarm bells about the latest reorganization at Pioneer Village.

On November 25, 2019, CUPE representatives were in attendance as the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) met with Regina Pioneer Village (RPV) employees affected by the notice of workplace reorganization. During this presentation, SHA disclosed that there will be a reduction in beds and consolidation of programs due to the serious nature of mold found in the facility.

“At this point it is unclear where the government plans to move residents, and what the impact will be on our members,” said Sandra Seitz, president of CUPE Local 5430. “CUPE remains committed to supporting our members, and advocating for residents, during this difficult time.”

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Members of CUPE Local 7667, workers at Regina’s P3 wastewater treatment facility, have voted with a 69% majority to reject the latest offer.

Since the wastewater treatment facility transferred operations from the jurisdiction of the City of Regina to the private contractor EPCOR, staffing levels have decreased and the workload for members has increased.

The Local 7667 bargaining committee has met four times with the employer since July 2019 and has been fighting for a fair collective agreement for our members.

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The CUPE Education Workers Steering Committee has released a new report highlighting the increasing levels of violence facing workers in the K-12 education sector. Over 1,000 CUPE education support workers from across Saskatchewan participated in a confidential violence survey.

“Our members across Saskatchewan are facing unacceptable levels of violence in our schools. Budget cuts, increased classrooms sizes, and more students with complex needs are leading to more violent incidents,” said Jackie Christianson, Chairperson of the Education Workers Steering Committee and an education assistant at Regina Public School Board. “It’s clear the ongoing exposure to this violence is taking its toll on our workers, both physically and mentally.”

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Delegates from CUPE Locals Unions across the province will gather together at the Annual Convention of CUPE Saskatchewan on March 4 to 6, 2020 in Saskatoon, SK.

The official Call to Convention 2020 package was sent to CUPE Local Unions affiliated to CUPE Saskatchewan Division via regular mail. If your Local Union has not received a convention package by Friday, November 29, 2019, please contact Jodi at the CUPE Saskatchewan Division Office by phone 306-757-1009 to update your Local Union’s mailing address. Convention registration is done through the credential forms your local received by mail with the convention call package.

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Talks between the Regina Public School Board and CUPE Local 3766 have broken down, and the local has filed for an impasse.

The local has been bargaining for over two years. Progress at the bargaining table has stalled, despite a strong 95 percent strike mandate from the local.

“We presented a fair deal to our employer that reflected our beliefs. It is disappointing that our employer continues to refuse to remove their bargaining concessions,” said Jackie Christianson, president of CUPE Local 3766. “It is our hope that a meeting with the mediator will happen, and we will be able to reach a fair deal with our bargaining efforts.”

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CUPE Local 777-2 has served written notice to the Town of Tisdale and the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety that the Union and the Town have reached an impasse in the current round of negotiations.

“The current round of negotiations has been challenging. It has been difficult to get the Employer to devote adequate time to negotiating, and they have shown little interest in discussing any of our proposals,” said Janice Janzen, CUPE National Servicing representative. “In order to reach a deal in a timely matter, we initiated a voluntary mediation process. However, after less than one hour of mediation it was clear we had reached an impasse.”

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Members of CUPE 5512 have voted with a 71 percent majority to ratify a new collective agreement with Prairie South School Division.

“We want to thank all of our members for staying strong and united through a difficult round of bargaining. The gains we made at the table would not have been possible without the strong strike mandate from our members and your ongoing support,” said Dale Smith, president of CUPE Local 5512.

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