PSGE Report on Bargaining December 2015

B A R G A I N I NGR E POR T ON

DECEMBER 2015

P U B L I C S E R V I C E S E C T O R

Essential Services law revised … page 3

Correctional food services privatized … page 4

Member discount program bigger and better … page 18

Giving backto the community

Corrections Officer Dean Terichow: engaged and involved … page 12

R E P O R T O N B A R G A I N I N G P U B L I C S E R V I C E S E C T O R

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2015

sgeu

.org

Regina Head Office

1011 Devonshire Drive N.

Regina, SK S4X 2X4

Phone: (306) 522-8571

Toll Free: 1-800-667-5221

Fax: (306) 352-1969

Saskatoon Office

#201, 1114 – 22nd St. W.

Saskatoon, SK S7M 0S5

Phone: (306) 652-1811

Toll Free 1-800-667-9791

Fax: (306) 664-7134

Prince Albert Office

33 – 11th St. W.

Prince Albert, SK S6V 3A8

Phone: (306) 764-5201

Toll Free 1-800-667-9355

Fax: (306) 763-4763

Cover photo: Dean Terichow,

SCC Corrections Officer

Photo by Oktober Revolution

Keeping you informed

Issues that matter to you

W elcome to the winter edition of the Public Service Sector’s Report on Bargaining. We are pleased to

provide you with a wide range of news and features designed to keep you informed on the issues that matter to you.

Fair labour laws

Updates on our struggle to defend our right to fair and meaningful collective bargaining have appeared regularly in this publication since the government passed its now-illegal essential services law. In this issue, we outline changes brought forward by government which are supposed to make the law more balanced.

Thanks to those who helped out during wildfires

Wildfires ravaged northern Saskatchewan this summer, and we applaud the efforts of the many public service employees who

stepped up to help fight the fires and support community members. But in the wake of the crisis, we are asking why government left the north so vulnerable. Read more about the public awareness campaign we have launched on this issue.

Privatization

We continue to face the sell-off of public services, and the loss of union jobs. This summer government announced that it would privatize food services in correctional and young offender facilities. We provide a comprehensive look at what happened and who benefits and who loses.

Giving back to our communities

As we approach the holiday season, our thoughts turn to the theme of giving back to our communities. In this issue, we profile corrections officer Dean Terichow, one of the many public service members who give back to their communities through volunteer work.

We also highlight some of the contributions union members make to communities year round, including raising money for cancer research, the Food Bank, the Children’s Hospital, and supporting seniors.

Holiday wishes

As 2015 comes to a close, and we look forward to the upcoming challenges and successes of a new year, let me take this opportunity to wish you and your family all the comfort and joy of the holiday season.

Barry NowoselskyChairSGEU PSGE Negotiating Committee

P U B L I C S E R V I C E S E C T O R R E P O R T O N B A R G A I N I N G

DECEMBER 2015 PAGE 3

Essential Services 2.0

Government rewrites law

T he Saskatchewan Party government has been compelled by the Supreme Court of Canada to amend its unconstitutional

essential services law to ensure that the rights of employees are respected.

While changes to the legislation, introduced in the legislature this fall, do not erase the harm done to public service employees who lost the right to strike for seven years, the amendments appear to move toward a more balanced approach to labour relations.

SGEU Public Service members were denied the right to meaningful collective bargaining when The Public Service Essential Services Act, passed in 2008, handed the government too much power to control the bargaining process.

Despite concerns raised by SGEU and other unions, government had to be forced by the Supreme Court of Canada to rewrite the law to ensure that it treated its employees fairly.

Victory came at huge cost

While the January 30, 2015 Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing workers the right to strike was a landmark victory for workers across the country, it came at a huge cost. Fighting the legal battle required a tremendous commit-ment of time and resources by SGEU and other unions. No group of citizens should be forced to go to such lengths to protect their basic constitutional rights.

The court ruling gave the government one year to revise the law to ensure that it treats workers fairly and respects the collective bargaining process. SGEU is currently reviewing the essential services amendments to more fully assess their impact on union members.

What is changing?

The old essential services law gave the govern-ment the right to unilaterally determine which

services were essential and how they would be delivered during a strike.

It did not give the union a reasonable process to review or appeal government’s decisions about who was prohibited from striking. And, even though the union would not have the capacity to strike, the law did not provide a meaningful dispute resolution mechanism, such as binding arbitration.

The new amendments remove the overly-broad definition of essential services: “a service to prevent a danger to life, health, safety, serious environmental damage, the destruction or serious deterioration of machinery, equipment and premises, and disruption of the courts.”

An independent tribunal

Now, the union and the employer will deter-mine which services are essential. If there is disagree ment, the issue will be turned over to a third-party, independent tribunal.

During a strike, the union will identify qualified workers to maintain essential services. Only the duties deemed essential will be performed by union members.

If the essential services agreement prevents enough workers from striking that it is impossible to conduct an effective work stoppage, the dispute may be referred to binding mediation-arbitration.

Will balance be restored?

Will these changes restore a balance to collective bargaining for SGEU Public Service members? It is too early to offer a meaningful assessment. While the amendments undo some of the most harmful and contentious aspects of the old law, the success of the new approach depends on how effective, timely and responsive the new processes prove to be.

Changes do not erase

the harm done

over past seven years.



Correctional food services privatized

Bad plan, big promises

T he official news release promised a string of benefits, claiming it would bring savings, cost stability, and enhanced

efficiency to correctional food services.

Of course, there was a lot the news release didn’t mention. It made no reference to the fact that it was turning the kitchens over to a foreign-owned multinational corporation whose record, in Canada and around the world, is full of corruption and incompetence. It didn’t let on that the promised savings, upon closer inspection, were questionable at best. And it glossed over the fact that it was throwing 62 experienced workers out of a job.

A dismal track recordThese omissions from the big announcement weren’t made by accident, of course. Government knew from the start that anyone watching carefully would find a lot of flaws in their privatization plan. For starters, privatized prison food services don’t have a great track record. In the U.S., where such privatization has been tried extensively, it’s resulted time and time again in governments being overcharged, lousy food, and reduced safety and security.

In Canada, U.S.-style horror stories — like prison food privatization itself — are less common. But there’s still the fact that B.C. and Alberta, which contracted their correctional kitchens out years ago to the same company we’re now using, paid a lot more to feed each inmate than Saskatchewan’s public system did. Their costs were 41 per cent and 59 per cent higher, respectively, in 2012-13.

The path to privatization Despite all evidence that the public food services model was the better performer, the provincial government forged ahead with

On August 5, 2015,

after keeping workers

in limbo for a year and

a half, the provincial

government declared

it was privatizing

food services in

Saskatchewan

correctional facilities.



team of new workers at $13.03 – $14.25 per hour. Given Compass’ scramble to obtain staff — it was still posting Saskatchewan correctional jobs as of November 3rd — it’s questionable whether the kitchens were fully staffed in the days following the takeover.

Whether all those new workers, who had likely never seen the inside of a correctional centre, were given the training they need to do their jobs safely and properly — well, that’s another question Compass would probably prefer not to answer. What we do know is that to make way for their low-wage replacements, 62 SGEU members had their jobs eliminated.

Results not guaranteedOn top of job losses and lower wages for workers, privatization has meant a series of costs that weren’t present under the public model. Taxpayers are on the hook for the expense of hiring consultants to review the food services model; the costs of conducting the request for proposals and negotiating the contract with Compass; and the ongoing costs of monitoring Compass to ensure compliance. It’s highly doubtful that these expenses are accounted for in the numbers provided to the public.

A closer look at the contract itself exposes more concealed costs. Despite the promise

privatization. It hired Kaizen Foodservice Planning and Design Inc., a Toronto-based consulting company, to do a review and recommend “the best model of food service delivery.” Exactly what Kaizen’s review said is a government secret — even a freedom of information request seeking it was turned down — but not surprisingly, these private consultants recommended privatization.

The next step, in January 2014, was to issue a Request for Proposals, inviting companies to show an interest in taking over the kitchens. Exactly why privatization was pursued isn’t clear. As much as the government talks of savings now, the deputy minister of corrections told reporters at that time that “this wasn’t done for the economic reason. This was done for the core business opportunity.”

By April 2014, three companies had seized that “core business opportunity” and submitted proposals. One of the three was obviously Compass Group Canada — because the next news was the sudden announcement, in the middle of summer 2015, that a five-year deal had been signed with Compass.

Compass moves inThat announcement left a lot of questions. For starters, what kind of company was being entrusted to run Saskatchewan’s correctional kitchens? Well, Compass Group Canada is the Canadian arm of Compass Group PLC — the world’s biggest food services company. Compass provides food services, and support services like cleaning, around Canada and around the world. Its performance is often dangerously poor, and its conduct unethical if not outright illegal, but it’s a business model that works well for the company. Compass had revenues of about $35 billion in 2014. For reference, that’s well over double what the Saskatchewan government brought in from all its revenue sources.

Compass took over Saskatchewan’s correctional kitchens on November 7th. In preparation for that day, it hurriedly hired a

Privatized prison food

services result in

overcharged governments,

lousy food, and reduced safety and security.

Compass’ performance

is often dangerously

poor, and its conduct unethical if not outright

illegal.



Good pensions good for economyPublic sector retirees provide a huge boost to provincial economies.

According to research from B.C.’s municipal pension board of trustees, in 2014, retired public employees supported $1.66 billion in provincial GDP, and 31,000 jobs, by spending their pension incomes close to home.

of guaranteed pricing, there are several built-in ways for Compass to increase what it charges for its services. If inmate populations fall by 15 per cent or more, the province is required to negotiate a price increase to ensure Compass doesn’t lose revenue. Similarly, if Compass finds itself out of pocket because food costs rise, or it experiences “product inefficiencies” or “labour inefficiencies,” or enough inmate labour isn’t made available, it’s entitled to change its costs accordingly. The reality of privatization is clear: the company’s profits come first.

A way outThe one bit of good news to be found in the contract with Compass is this: there’s a quick way out. At any time, government can give one year’s notice that it’s cancelling the contract and taking back correctional food services.

SGEU has called on government to publicly release a detailed breakdown of the full costs of privatization — and if it can’t justify privatization once the real numbers are known, to immediately give notice that it’s cancelling the contract. We know that a profit-driven, private model can’t compete with an in-house food services system that was cost-effective, supported good jobs, and prioritized the safety of staff and inmates.

Saskatchewan’s new provider of correctional food services, Compass Group, has a record that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Examples of its performance include:

• Illegally pocketing $3 million that it was supposed to pass on to the cash-strapped New York State school lunch program.

• Leaving cleaning crews in a B.C. hospital too understaffed and undertrained to effectively contain a fatal disease outbreak.

• Shipping thousands of potentially Listeria-contaminated meals to seven Ontario correctional centres.

• Losing its contract with the Vancouver Island Health Authority over dangerously poor performance — then immediately buying up the company chosen to replace it.

New LTD adjudicatorEffective November 1, 2015 the responsi b ility of Long Term Disability (LTD) Claim adjudica tion has been transferred from Manulife Financial to Saskatchewan Blue Cross.

If you require additional information, please email the SGEU LTD Plan at [email protected] or call Shane Osberg, Director of Disability Management, at (306) 775-7204.

Who’s in the kitchen?

mailto:[email protected]



Public service jobs at risk

Public service jobs are increasingly at risk in our province. Government’s agenda of privatization, contracting out, and

public-private partnerships (P3s) is putting all government positions in jeopardy.

The gradual shifting of government work to private companies is well-underway:

• Jobs have been eliminated as a result of privatizing food services in corrections and young offender facilities.

• P3 projects, like the Regina bypass and the North Battleford Hospital and integrated corrections unit, mean more lost government positions.

• Outsourcing highways work to private companies has led to a 404 per cent increase in private consulting costs in the past five years. And the number of consultants performing work in virtually all government ministries is growing dramatically.

Jobs are also being lost due to program cuts. For example, this summer jobs were abolished when government shut down Can.-Sask. Labour Market Service Centres in four communities, and eliminated positions in Regina and Saskatoon.

Even though almost 2,000 positions were eliminated by a government plan to downsize the civil service in recent years, ministries are still being pressured to reduce staff costs, and, more and more, vacancies are not being filled.

The move to freeze wages of non-union employees following the decline in oil prices also signals that the government is looking for savings through cuts that negatively affect its workforce.

Public service workers need to be fully aware of the path government is taking, and be prepared to protect jobs, and defend strong public services that benefit all Saskatchewan people.



Civil Service Reserve Team recruits more members

In 2014, the Government of Saskatchewan began to develop and implement a plan to establish a Civil Service Reserve Team (CSRT). The CSRT is a group of trained staff who can be redeployed from their existing positions to assist during an emergency. The team is made up of current provincial government employees who can supplement the Ministry of Government Relations’ Emergency Management and Fire Safety (EMFS) branch when needed during a wide range of emergencies.

Getting this program up and running in a short time frame took intensive work. Support from SGEU and the ministries, Crowns and agencies involved was crucial throughout the process of recruiting individuals for the CSRT. As an initial program, the CSRT has been a success, with 57 team members selected, trained, equipped, and ultimately deployed for field operations.

Shortly after training was completed, circumstances required that the CSRT be deployed. During the period from April 1 to July 31, 2015, a total of 19 activations occurred involving all members of the CSRT. These incidents included fighting grassland wildfires (western Saskatchewan), assisting with flood management and response (Manitou Beach), supporting the Ministry of Environment with controlled burns (White Butte), and assisting with evacuations and asset protection during summer forest fires (various northern Saskatchewan communities).

Due to the magnitude of this year’s emergency events, the government identified a need for an additional 50 reserve positions. There was an enthusiastic response with 44 candidates who were interviewed and scheduled for three weeks of core training in late October 2015 at the EMFS Prince Albert base.

WANTEDSocial Services Issues Committee membersThe Public Service bargaining unit is seeking members to join the Social Services Issues Committee.

The committee works to resolve issues and ensure a safe and healthy workplace for members employed by the Ministry of Social Services.

The committee is seeking one new member, plus alternates. Members must come from the income security or family services areas of the ministry, and will be selected to represent various geographic regions.

To apply, please write a letter of intent and direct it to:

Shelley Strachan1011 Devonshire Drive North Regina SK S4X [email protected]

Any members facing workplace issues within Social Services can forward their concerns to committee chair Tracy Haaland at (306) 445-9309 (home), (306) 481-3614 (cell) or [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]



Scope and grievances update

Health plan changeIn July 2015, Request for Proposal documents were issued for purposes of the Extended Health Care Plan and the Extended Health Care Plan for Retired Employees insurance contracts.

The Joint Board of Trustees met in August to consider the proposals received, and interviews were subsequently held in September.

On a best-value basis, the proposals submitted by Great-West Life were ranked the highest. As a result, Great-West Life has been selected as the insurance carrier for both extended health care plans effective January 1, 2016. There will be no change to the benefits we already have in place.

Great-West Life is the largest group health provider in Canada, based upon insured premiums as of December 31, 2014 (Benefits Canada, April 2015).

Value-added services from Great-West Life include proactive cost management strategies for prescription drugs, a larger range of claims reporting tools, and point of service claims submission for healthcare practitioners (chiropractors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, naturopathic doctors and vision care providers).

Great-West Life’s IT infrastructure also provides for innovative electronic and mobile capabilities, enhanced claims processing capacity, and expanded fraud and abuse detection tools.

Health claims will be adjudicated in the Regina Benefit Claims Office.

ScopeSince our last report, more than 100 supervisory positions were designated to go out-of-scope based on the exclusion criteria from The Saskatchewan Employment Act. The bargaining unit continues to review scope exclusions on a weekly basis.

In June 2015, the employer signed an irrevocable agreement to not separate super-visory positions that do not meet the out-of-scope criteria from the PS/GE Bargaining Unit.

GrievancesGrievances in the PS/GE have decreased significantly over the last three years to a manageable number. Due to ongoing case management, and the work of staff, stewards

and grievance committees, we continue to pursue positive resolutions for members.

If you have a concern or question about a situation or an article in the Collective Agreement, talk to your steward prior to filing a grievance. Many times issues can be resolved without a grievance being filed.



Government fails to protect and preserve

T he challenges were daunting. Fires raged out of control, threatening 51 communities. Over 10,000 people were

forced to evacuate. Homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.

In spite of the unprecedented risks presented by the worst wildfire crisis in living memory, community members — many of them public service employees — battled fires, assisted families in need, and opened their homes to evacuees.

Saskatchewan people stepped up to respond. But government mismanagement of the crisis put families and communities at risk. SGEU is urging northerners to call for a review by an objective third party, and to make the results available to the public. It is also encouraging northerners to demand that government restore funding that has been cut in recent years.

SGEU has sent a brochure that highlights concerns about the mismanagement of the wildfire situation to residents across the north. It identifies problems that contributed to the difficulties faced by firefighters and community members during the crisis, such as:

When the wildfires

of 2015 hit northern

Saskatchewan,

northerners — and

especially firefighters —

courageously answered

the call to help.

A special “thank you”

to all firefighters and SGEU Public Service members from many different ministries who helped battle

the blazes and keep northerners safe.



Help make sure this never happens again!

Tell government we need:• a substantial increase in budget,

resources and firefighters• an independent, public review

of the wildfire crisis of 2015

Contact:Minister of Environment Herb Cox at [email protected] or 1 (306) 787-0393

Minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs Jim Reiter at [email protected] or 1 (306) 787-6100

Families and communities in Saskatchewan’s north deserve no less.

• a shortage of trained, experienced firefighters;

• a lack of equipment;• no fire observers in towers; and,• questionable management of scarce

resources.

Cuts to staff and resourcesCuts to staff and resources impaired firefighting efforts, and the brochure provides information to community members to help them raise issues with their government decision-makers.

While natural conditions meant this was guaranteed to be a severe wildfire season, short-sighted government decisions made the crisis much worse.

If government hadn’t cut the firefighting budget by almost half, replaced dependable tower observers with unreliable cameras, and cut the size of initial attack teams, there would have been a far stronger response to the fires from day one.

Frontline firefighters have a unique insight into the challenges of the summer’s wildfire crisis,

but to date, they have not been asked for their assessment of the situation.

SGEU warned government that getting rid of tower observers was risky, and that video cameras could not provide the same degree of accuracy in spotting fires, nor would they assist firefighters on the ground with communications. Unfortunately, those concerns proved to be well-founded.

We all need to speak out to ensure that changes are made to prevent future crises. Budgets and staff need to return to previous levels, and tower observers should be reinstated.

SGEU warned

government that getting rid of tower observers was risky.

Photos: The 2015 wildfire crisis ravaged Saskatchewan’s north.

Government fails to protect and preserve



Giving back on and off the job


Dean Terichow’s work isn’t glamorous, but it gives him a chance to get involved and give back — to his

community, his union, and his province.

“This is one of the jobs that goes unnoticed quite often in society, but yet contributes to the day-to-day functioning,” says the long-serving Saskatoon corrections worker. “It’s one of the jobs that allow our society to be what it is, and allows us to have the freedoms and the safety that we enjoy.”

Though he didn’t start out with his eye on correctional work, Dean has always taken an interest in how society functions, and how the justice system helps keep it healthy.

“I had an interest in working with people and the public, and doing something that contributes back,” he says.

Before joining the Ministry of Corrections, Dean began taking university courses focused on psychology, sociology, and Native studies, aiming towards a degree in human justice. It was while he was working on his education that a friend’s father, a retired corrections worker, arranged for him to visit the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre and meet some of the staff.

Dean liked what he saw, and took a one-year correctional studies course at SIAST in Prince Albert. This is his 19th year serving as a corrections worker at the Saskatoon Provincial Correctional Centre.

While he takes pride in the value his work has for society, Dean’s contributions don’t end when his shift does. A father of three children, all of them involved in sports, Dean has stepped up to help lead their teams. For the past two years, he’s coached in the Stampeder

“Corrections is one of the jobs that allow our society to

be what it is, and allows us to have the freedoms and the safety that we enjoy.”



Fighting hunger, feeding hope PSGE food bank drive December 2-16Last year SGEU’s Public Service Sector and the Public Service Commission sponsored a food drive across the public service which raised $9,500 in financial donations and 7,600 lbs of food for Saskatchewan Food Banks.

Our goal this year is to exceed that success by collecting over $10,000 in financial donations and 10,000 lbs of food province wide to top our success last year.

Please bring non-perishable food items and place them in the collection container located in your area and/or make a financial donation online by visiting Canadahelps.org and following the instructions to Saskatchewan Food Banks, specifying SGEU to help tally our donations.

As union reps and members, we understand the difference solidarity makes. Let’s join forces to feed Saskatchewan families in need!

(grades 3 and 4) division of Saskatoon’s minor football league, and been an assistant coach for Saskatoon Minor Baseball.

Since a correctional centre operates 24/7, Dean puts in 12-hour shifts which include days, nights, weekends, and holidays. His demanding work schedule makes it difficult to attend all family events such as birthdays, weddings, etc. But Dean makes time for his family and the teams he coaches as well as being a corrections worker.

Dean also devotes a lot of his time to union activities. He’s been a shop steward at Saskatoon correctional for most of his 19-year career, and has served for over a decade as the social chair of the Local 1102 executive. A year ago, he became the vice-chair of the 1102 executive as well.

“To make a union strong, you need people to be involved,” he says. “The more active you are, the more participation, the further along you can help your local or your union or your workplace.”

Within the local union, Dean is the chairperson of the Saskatoon Local Social Committee.


Along with Dean’s duties as chairperson, he also organizes the annual Local 1102 kids’ Christmas party, open to all members and their children. He’s proud to have seen the event grow, from about 80 attendees when he started planning it, to over 300 in 2015. He also helps arrange the local’s participation in Saskatoon’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, where a member lays a wreath in memory of fallen soldiers.

Dean describes his job as “a way to contribute back to society” — but between his coaching and his work with his local, it’s an ideal he carries well beyond the workplace. His main goal is to do a good job and go home safe to be with his family.

PSGE member profile

While he takes pride in the value his work has for society, Dean’s contributions don’t end

when his shift does.



Local 1102, SaskatoonIt’s been a flurry of activity in Local 1102.

Our annual general meeting was held on October 27, 2015. We would like to welcome our new chairperson, Daniel McCullough, to the executive, and in the same breath congratulate the three winners of our scholarships.

Riley Crittenden was awarded the $1000 Martin d’Entremont Bursary; Tyra Tkatchuk and Juan Martinez were the recipients of the $750 Local 1102 Scholarships.

Local 1102 hosted an annual Children’s Christmas Party on November 15, 2015. It featured an appearance by Santa Claus, who came bearing gifts.

Until the New Year, we at Local 1102 wish everyone happy holidays!

Local 1112, NipawinLocal 1112 (Nipawin/Tisdale) congratulates its 2015 scholarship winners. $500 scholarships were awarded to:

• Matthew Foster – son of Allan Foster, Ministry of Agriculture

• Kaitlin Mary Wesnoski – daughter of Ross Wesnoski, Ministry of Agriculture

Congratulations, and good luck!

Local happeningsLocal 1101, Regina

Local 1101 Scholarship Winners

Local 1101 (Regina) gives out five scholarships of $1,000 each to members or their dependents who are pursuing further studies in various fields. This year the Local received five applications. Members are encouraged to apply for these scholarships.

The successful applicants for the 2015-16 school year scholarships are:

Anna Mnushkin Memorial Scholarship: Subin Jacob – member of Local 1101, employed with the Ministry of Central Services.

John Wolkowski Memorial Scholarship: Sarah Wee – member of Local 1101, employed with Executive Council’s protocol office.

Keith Jackson Memorial Scholarship: Deanna Miller – member of Local 1101, employed with the Court of Appeal (Ministry of Justice.)

Regina Public Service Local 1101 Scholarships:

• Anthony Schwartz – son of Brad Schwartz, Local 1101 member employed with the Ministry of Justice.

• Jordan Sukenik – son of Sherry Sukenik-Coutts, Local 1101 member with the Ministry of Social Services.

Iron Will Family Day

Members of Local 1101 took part in Iron Will Family Day (see below), an event to raise money for the Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital.

The Iron Will project commemorates the life of William Rattray, who died at the young age of 13 months. Hundreds of participants came out dressed as super heroes to salute the strength and courage shown by Will as he underwent numerous surgeries.



Peace Officers’ Memorial

A complement of peace officers from Saskatchewan, along with their colleagues from other provinces, attended the 2015 Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial, held in Ottawa on September 27. Begun in 1978, the annual memorial has now added the names of over 850 officers to its honour roll.

Conservation Officers at memorial: Two SGEU members, conservation officers

Dale Achtemichuk and Jeri Bell, attended the 2015 Canadian Police

and Peace Officers’ Memorial.



Regina seniors appreciate our support

Seniors enjoy event sponsored by SGEU’s Public Service.

There was an enthusiastic reception to the turkey dinner that SGEU Public Service sponsored at the Regina Senior Citizen’s Centre (RSCC).

“Our seniors really commented on how appreciative they were for all your great support,” said RSCC marketing/development coordinator Jackie Harrower. “They loved the good food and the music. They are asking if you will be hosting another one next year.”

The October 18th event offered a free meal to any and all seniors. Over 60 per cent of the

RSCC’s members have annual incomes below $25,000, meaning that for many, “this might be their only turkey dinner for the year,” said Harrower.

Harrower also thanked everyone at SGEU for pitching in to make the event a success.

The Regina Senior Citizen Centre (RSCC) is a non-profit organization serving the needs of thousands of older adults in Regina and the surrounding area who are 55 years of age and over. Almost 1,000 members make use of its wide variety of opportunities and programs each week.



Shear ’n’ Shine 2016

SGEU helps ‘Light the Night’

A cold and rainy evening didn’t stop SGEU Public Service member Hank Lashta and his team from finishing this year’s Light the Night walk in Saskatoon.

The Light the Night walk is an annual fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, in support of cancer research and patient support services. Teams carry illuminated lanterns during a twilight walk that shows support for patients and survivors and commemorates lost loved ones.

SGEU helped support Hank’s team, the Fireflies, which is made up of blood cancer survivors and their families. This year the Fireflies raised an impressive $9,200, including a $1000 donation from the SGEU Public Service Sector. In total, the Saskatoon walk, held on October 3rd, raised over $180,000.

SGEU joins Hank and his team in hoping the money raised this year helps fund a breakthrough in cancer research.

In the spring of 2015 our Shear ’n’ Shine event raised approximately $20,000 for the Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital. SGEU would like to thank all the locals, sectors, members, friends and family who supported this successful event.

SGEU is ready to launch another Shear ’n’ Shine fundraiser to support the Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital for 2016. This year there will be a number of prizes to be won for those who participate in this fun event.

Please dare your co-workers and fellow members to take part. You can shave the hair off your head, you can wax your armpits,

or you can remove that winter beard or mustache and raise money for sick kids in Saskatchewan. Please participate in this very fun event, and maybe you will win a great prize!

Posters and pledge forms will be put on the SGEU website by the end of December 2015. Please print them off, post them, and share them. Are you ready to accept this challenge? Come out and make a difference for your community and province — sick children across Saskatchewan are counting on you!

Hank Lashta and his team of Fireflies brave the cold, wet weather to help raise funds for cancer research and services.



Discount Program bigger and better!Vendor Savings Offer Locations

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ReginaMawson Fitness/Saskatoon

Curves $19 Membership Fee$15.95 weekly for fitness, meal plan and coaching

Saskatchewan

Fitness Focus $21 bi weekly - Gold Membership$16 bi weekly - Silver Membership

Saskatoon

24 Fit 20% on monthly fitness class Regina

Mind Body Soul Yoga 10% session or punch pass Regina

Genes Cycle & Sports 15% regular priced items Prince Albert

PlayaSol Clothing and Active Wear Inc 15% regular priced items Prince Albert

Prince Albert Source for Sports 15% regular priced items Prince Albert

Mighty Mouthguards 2 for 1 Regina and Area

Fabutan Sun Studios 25% on regular minutes15% on lotions and eyewear

Prince Albert

Balanced Soles Reflexology 20% on reflexology treatment Regina

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Tasha’s Day Spa 5% on hair, nails, pedicure, manicure, laser Regina

Touched By Grace 10% on reflexology, craniosacral or reiki Regina

Frontrunner Footwear 10% on Work Footwear Prince Albert

Soft Moc 30% on Frequent Buyer10% on regular and sale priced merchandise

Saskatoon

Heritage Optical 15% on frames and lenses Lloydminster

Factory Optical 10% on 2 for 1 eyewear Saskatchewan

Fourth Avenue Vision Centre 30% on frames20% on non-prescribed sunglasses

Saskatoon

Crandleberry’s Cyber Café & Books 10% North Battleford

TTH Law Firm Barristers & Solicitors 20% real estate fees10% estate planning fees

Regina

The Co-operators Discount program Saskatchewan

Dulux Paints 25% on manufactured paints Regina

General Paint 20% on retail except spray equipment and parts Saskatchewan

Envision Floor Covering 10% on several collections Regina

Travelodge 15% on rooms Prince Albert

Midtown Transmission & Auto Care Free inspections and $25 to $50 off any repair of $150 or more

Prince Albert

Fountain Tire 10% on everything excluding dealer parts Regina

The Wireless Age $25 off the purchase of a device and 20% off accessories

Regina

Professional Western Computer 10% discount on in store labour Regina

The Public Service sector of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) has a great discount program for our members but now it has improved because we have agreed to be part of the Endless Savings & More program.

This program allows our members access to countless savings from merchants in hundreds of locations across Canada from their smart phones. Members simply tap on an icon on their smart phone to view available savings and the GPS automatically shows merchants and savings that are closest to your current location. Members redeem savings in store when they make payment by showing the vendor offer on their smart phone. There are even savings for some vendors online or by telephone purchases by entering or supplying the code from the vendor to redeem.

Members just need to go to www.esmobileapp.com/files/WelcomeSGEU.pdf to install the applications to begin saving.

Our current program offers are still available from a range of vendors.

http://www.esmobileapp.com/files/WelcomeSGEU.pdf

http://www.esmobileapp.com/files/WelcomeSGEU.pdf



Pharmacy dispensing feesIn order to keep the costs to our extended health plan to a minimum, we encourage members to fill prescriptions at pharmacies with lower dispensing fees.

Pharmacy Cost

Regina Sherwood Co-op 306-791-9301 $11.40Costco* 306-789-8838 $ 4.49 Extra Foods – Albert St 306-790-2550 $10.49London Drugs 306-546-1600 $ 8.49Pharmasave

– University Park 306-789-5541 $11.40Rexall 306-543-1446 $11.50Safeway – Gordon Road 306-586-5140 $11.40Shoppers

– Landmark Mall 306-777-8040 $11.40Superstore

– Prince of Wales 306-546-6500 $10.49Sobey’s – Rochdale 306-546-5881 $11.40

Saskatoon Safeway

– Lawson Heights 306-934-8185 $11.40 For up to three months supply

Superstore – 8th St E 306-956-1631 $10.49Shoppers

– Midtown Plaza 306-653-4866 $11.40Extra Foods 306-249-9200 $10.49London Drugs 306-664-9521 $ 8.49

Estevan Henders Drugs 306-634-3666 $11.40Pharmasave 306-637-3802 $11.40Sobey’s 306-637-2580 $11.40

Hudson Bay Pharmasave 306-865-2663 $11.40

Kelvington Kelvington Pharmacy 306-327-4662 $11.40

Kindersley Drugstore Pharmacy 306-463-1655 $10.49

La Ronge La Ronge Drug Store 306-425-2252 $11.40

Meadow Lake Drugstore Pharmacy 306-236-8330 $10.49Co-op 306-236-6366 $11.40Madill’s Drugs 306-236-5210 $11.40

Pharmacy Cost

Moose Jaw Pharmasave, Main St N 306-692-6433 $11.40Drugstore Pharmacy 306-691-6035 $10.49Rexall 306-694-5556 $11.25Safeway 306-694-2112 $11.40

Nipawin Davis Rexall 306-862-3141 $11.40

North Battleford Fisher’s Drug Store 306-445-6153 $11.40Co-op Pharmacy 306-445-9800 $11.40Walmart 306-445-8108 $11.25Shopper’s Drug Mart 306-445-6253 $11.40Pharmasave 306-937-2600 $11.40Battleford Drug Mart 306-937-3303 $11.40

Prince AlbertSafeway

– South Hill Mall 306-922-1242 $11.40 Superstore – 15th St E 306-953-8120 $10.49Shoppers

– South Hill Mall 306-922-6144 $11.40

Swift Current Pharmasave 306-778-5362 $11.40Rexall Drug Store 306-773-4633 $11.40Pioneer Co-op 306-778-8800 $11.40Shoppers 306-773-5301 $11.40

Weyburn Co-op 306-848-3663 $11.40 Drugstore Pharmacy 306-848-3407 $10.99Price Rite 306-842-4221 $11.40Pharmasave 306-848-3850 $11.40

Yorkton Hearn’s Westview

Pharmacy 306-783-4331 $11.40Shoppers 306-783-9796 $11.40Superstore 306-786-4035 $10.49

*Costco has the lowest dispensing fee.



KEYSS Support ServicesA&C Administration and CommunicationsT&T Trades and TechnicalLIR Legal, Inspection & RegulatoryHS Human ServicesVEO Vehicle, Equipment & OperationsLR Local Representative

Almquist, Conni LR 891-9062Ashdown, Mitch LR 554-4133Bossaer, Lori HS 441-4601Brown, Michelle SS 425-9810Braniff, Merv T&T 789-1559Chell, Regan LR 425-2032Cook, Donna LR 865-2522Cossette, Robert A&C 527-3522De Ciman, Muna LR 585-1565Deck, Devin VEO 961-6644Gelsinger, Craig LIR 536-9697Goski, Denise LR 691-5360Halcro, Mark T&T 961-1214Harrison, Mary Ann A&C 726-2059Hildebrand, Ed VEO 693-2986Hill, Lorie LIR 380-8178Hogarth, Kirk LR 463-9327Hogarth, Mary Ann SS 460-5196Honsey, Arol LR 778-8228Kelly, Patrice A&C 550-4317Kiefer, Darren T&T 922-4000Lee, Jack A&C 425-3786Lowey, Victor LR 634-9485Lusney, Bernadette HS 543-2150McCafferty, Corey HS 270-9533

McKay, Tim VEO 240-4121McRae, Bonnie LIR 291-3003Morley, Shayne LIR 764-8894Nakonechny, Murray T&T 621-9059Nichol, Tannis HS 221-6863Norton, Herb LR 235-1753Nowoselsky, Barry HS 775-7202Penny, Chad HS 949-4896Ponton, Bonnie SS 283-9210Reiger, Derek LR 551-5546Schwartz, Ernie LR 236-7540Seivewright, Daren HS 527-4155Shortt, David A&C 446-4557Stevens, Travis LIR 540-8633Thompson, Terry A. HS 761-1794Trost, Mac LR 445-5020Woytiuk, Curt SS 531-7617York, Brian LR 878-8823Yuzik, Carol LR 933-0763

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Going paperless

If you prefer to receive future copies of the Bargaining Report via email rather than have a paper copy mailed to you, please let us know, by emailing us at [email protected]

Kilometer rate updatedThe kilometer rate you will be paid for using a private vehicle for work was updated October 30, 2015, in accordance with Article 15.3.3 of the PSC/SGEU Collective Agreement. The rates are as follows:

Ordinary: 42.03¢/kmNorth of 54th parallel: 45.26¢/km

The allowance payable to employees authorized on an incidental basis to use privately owned vehicles for government business is as follows:

Car – subject to a minimum allowance of $5.00 per day, $1.50 per hour (prorated for shorter periods) for actual usage to a maximum of $6.00 per day or 42.03¢/ km, whichever is greater.

Truck – subject to a minimum allowance of $5.00 per day, $2.00 per hour for actual hauling time to a maximum of $7.00 per day or 44.63¢/km, whichever is greater.

Documents

PSGE Report on Bargaining December 2015