This week is National Nursing Week. It is an important time to recognize the tremendous work CUPE members do every day to deliver high quality patient care as part of the nursing team.

This year it is very important that we take a moment to reflect on the role of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) because some of concerns that are being floated in the media about LPNs working outside of their scope of practice.

LPNs are skilled nurses who have been trained and accredited to providing a wide range of medical assessments and procedures. They are valuable members of the health care team, but unfortunately, their role is often misunderstood.

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No one asks for it! On Friday, May 6th 2016, join others in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Canada!

Sexual violence is far more common than some people think. One in three women in Canada will experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime. Despite the prevalence and impact of this crime, sexual assaults have notoriously low reporting and low conviction rates; more than 90% of victims do not report their experiences to the police.

Update: Registration for this event is now full but interested individuals may contact us to be put on a waiting list should anyone withdraw their registration.

The CUPE Saskatchewan canoe trip coincides with the Back to Batoche celebrations of the Métis Nation in Saskatchewan.

During this annual voyage, participants navigate the waters of the South Saskatchewan River by canoe beginning at Clarkboro Ferry crossing (formerly Warman Ferry crossing) and arriving at the historic Métis community of Batoche – learning about Aboriginal culture, history, and traditions along the way.

NO CANOE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!

EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE: June 17, 2016

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In the wake of a bargaining impasse, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a new round of sweeping layoff notices this week to CUPE Local 600 members working at Valley View Centre.

The Government of Saskatchewan served notice to terminate the employment of 36 employees in several different classifications, including nursing, dietary, housekeeping, and scheduling staff. In total, 24 permanent full time, nine permanent part time, and three term employees were served with layoff notices. Since the announcement of the closure of Valley View Centre, a total of 80 positions have been eliminated. Only one term out-of-scope position has been eliminated during this time.

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INAC Protest Camp at 1827 Albert Street, Regina

Regina – Protesters camped outside the offices of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) in Regina got some material support from the labour movement on Wednesday afternoon when a large festival tent was set up on site by CUPE Saskatchewan.

The tent was a response to a request from the union’s own Aboriginal Council. The protesters have been camped outside INAC’s regional offices since April 18 in conjunction with occupations of INAC offices across Canada in response to the crises of youth suicides in Attawapiskat and the terrible conditions in many First Nations communities across Canada.

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Photo: Flickr/iwishmynamewasmarsha

Across Saskatchewan and Canada today people will light candles, don ribbons and remember colleagues, friends and family who have been killed because of workplace-related hazards and incidents. A list of Day of Mourning events today in Saskatchewan can be found HERE. CUPE Saskatchewan will be laying wreaths in ceremonies in Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw, and Yorkton.

Last week CUPE Saskatchewan held its annual Occupational Health and Safety Conference and members are encouraged to look at CUPE’s new Health and Safety Learning Series.

We can’t bring back those who have died, but we are working hard to make workplaces safer today. That’s why Canadian unions including CUPE are calling for a national ban on asbestos, a known killer that causes disease, suffering and death — all of it preventable.

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Moose Jaw — CUPE Local 5512 is saddened and disappointed by Prairie South School District’s decision to lay off 25 school assistants working at nine schools in Moose Jaw.

“Our members care passionately about the work they do and the children they watch over. The loss of these jobs is so devastating because of how much heart our members put into their jobs,” said Trish Mula, president of CUPE Local 5512. “This decision is about Prairie South’s financial situation, but it is the students who are going to end up paying the price.”

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Today is Earth Day. We can all do our part. This could be the time to start greening your workplace with ideas like energy conservation, car pooling, recycling, or reducing waste. CUPE has produced a fact sheet if you want to set up an environment committee in your workplace.

CUPE also wants to encourage and promote existing green practices in our locals’ workplaces. You may submit your local for our 2016 Earth Day contest. Deadline is May 6.

Show your support for City of Moose Jaw Workers during a tough round of bargaining and bring the family down for a FREE Barbecue. Event is open to the public.Come by the park for a free burger!

Workers at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, members of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 5791, have voted 100 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.

“The employer brought forward a large regressive proposal package to the table, which is lowering staff morale and causing stress for the members,” said Jamie Mellor, president of Local 5791.

“Historically, CUPE Local 5791 has been very reasonable at the bargaining table and has been considerate of the MacKenzie’s financial challenges. We continue to be reasonable in this round, but the employer’s approach is making progress difficult,” added Mellor.  “It is disappointing to see this behaviour after so many years of amicable labour relations and negotiations.”

The employer has hired an outside consultant and has proposed many concessions to the collective agreement.  These concessions include eliminating severance pay while at the same time issuing lay-off notices to two employees and suggesting that there may be more lay-offs.  Other proposals include eliminating employees’ ability to manage their work within flexible hours that meet their personal needs as well as the gallery’s needs. In addition, the MacKenzie Art Gallery is attempting to remove five full-time positions with supervisory duties from the bargaining unit and is seeking to reduce vacation entitlements for employees hired after April 1, 2016.

“Employees of the MacKenzie Art Gallery have always worked as a dedicated team, producing high quality arts programming for the public.  This work often requires employees to be flexible and generous with their time in order to meet deadlines and to address unanticipated events,” said Marie Olinik, a CUPE Local 5791 MacKenzie Art Gallery bargaining unit member.  “Hours of work has been a particularly contentious issue at this round of bargaining.  It’s our view that the employer’s proposals would actually harm gallery operations and increase costs.”

“We will continue to attempt to reach a negotiated agreement, but the management at the Mackenzie Art Gallery needs to know that our members have strong concerns with the concessions it is trying to push,” said Mellor.

Members of CUPE Local 5791 have been without a contract since March 31, 2015.