For the second time, the provincial head of the CUPE Health Care Council is from Weyburn, as Sandra Seitz was elected as the council president by the union at their provincial conference held on May 16-18.
Stephen Foley of Weyburn had served as head of the Health Care Council a number of years ago.
As the president of the health care union provincially, Seitz said her role will entail representing the 3,500 health care workers in CUPE, and to do negotiating for collective bargaining for CUPE workers.
Seitz noted the current collective agreement expired on March 31, and negotiations with the employers, SAHO (Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations) and the health regions, began on May 25.
Asked if there will be challenges with the province moving to a single health region for the entire province, or with their demand for public sector workers to take a 3.5 per cent wage rollback, Seitz declined to offer any comments on those issues and said, “We will let the process unfold.”
As for being elected by her peers to head the Health Care Council for the province, Seitz said, “It’s very much an honour to be elected into the position by the delegates, and I look forward to representing them to the best of my ability.”
