Talks between the Government of Saskatchewan and the union representing social services workers have come to a halt after the Employer walked away from the table.

CUPE Local 600 represents 380 members who work directly for the Community Living Service Delivery (CLSD) branch of the Ministry of Social Services and Ministry of Central Services.

“The Government of Saskatchewan has stated repeatedly that they want Saskatchewan to be the best place to live for persons with disabilities. But the lack of respect for front line workers is shocking,” said Nancy Seman, president of CUPE Local 600. “We are urging the government to take bargaining seriously and work with us to find a solution to address the health and safety issues we are facing.”

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Mark Hancock, CUPE National President, joined CUPE’s provincial union leadership in Regina today at the Unifor Local 594 picket line in front of the Co-op Refinery to bring a message of solidarity from Canada’s largest union. Today marks day 49 of the lockout imposed by the management of the highly profitable Co-op Refinery in what has become a flash point in the fight against employer-led attacks on workers’ pensions since police escalated tensions by arresting Unifor’s National President and union officials on the picket line Monday night in Regina, Saskatchewan.

• Read more: Mark Hancock joins labour leaders from across Canada to support Co-op picket line in Regina

“The fight for good pensions and a decent retirement is going on right here, right now. And CUPE will stand with you in this fight, because we know our pensions are under the same threat, and because it is what we do in the union movement. We stand with each other!” said Hancock.

Nearly 800 members of Unifor Local 594 at the Co-op Refinery in Regina have been locked out in freezing conditions since December 5, 2019. Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) owns the Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina. The employer has locked out its workers in an attempt to force through concessions and gut the pension plan promised to workers at a time the company itself is hugely profitable.

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Photo from @UniforTheUnion

**RALLY TIME REVISED TO 12:30 P.M. ON WED., JAN 22, 2020, IN REGINA**

Members are encouraged to join the Solidarity Rally on January 22, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. in front of Gate 7 at the Co-op Refinery in Regina to bolster the picket line and to demand Co-op get back to the bargaining table!

“The Co-op Refinery is giving a black eye to Co-ops across Saskatchewan by locking out their workers and demanding unnecessary cuts when the company already makes huge profits,” said Tom Graham, President of CUPE Saskatchewan. “Everyone knows that the Co-op Refinery is to blame for this dispute with their unwillingness to get back to the table and bargain a fair deal with their workers. Unifor Local 594 members have the support of CUPE Saskatchewan in their fight against concessions and defending their rights to protest corporate greed.”

CUPE members are encouraged to join a Solidarity Rally on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, beginning at 12:30 p.m. in front of Gate 7 at the Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina on Fleet Street, North of McDonald Street. Mark Hancock, CUPE National President, and Tom Graham, President of CUPE Saskatchewan, will be joined on Wednesday by CUPE members to bolster the picket line and show support for Unifor Local 594. Solidarity rallies are also being called today on the picket line at 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in front of the Co-op Refinery Complex.

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Support workers at Regina Public Schools have not had a raise in over four years — even though our bosses have given themselves huge pay increases.

Our schools work because we do. We provide support for students each and every school day. We deserve a FAIR deal, not zeros and attacks on our benefits. It’s time to get back to the table and offer a fair deal for school workers.

Please contact your Regina Public School Board Trustee this holiday season to say: stop being a grinch!

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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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