Welcome to our New Viewers!
This is EyeOnCaleb, the website that aims to let everyone know that You Still Have The Right to Talk to a Union in Saskatchewan!
This site began just a few months ago when our friend Val was fired from her job at the Caleb Village, an independent living facility, in Kindersley - for talking to a Union.
It seems that she and her remaining co-workers didn’t like that the Caleb Village in Kindersley was reportedly experiencing a 90% Staff Turnover Rate in it’s first year of operation.
Val was one of only two remaining original staff of 25, since the facility opened it doors in 2009.
Val and her co-workers only wanted the same things that the Caleb Workers who are unionized with SEIU-West have, like a stable work environment. “Stability is important to the residents…” Val told us “They like to see the same faces every day, they don’t like it when it’s always new people.”
Since this site has launched we have heard from Caleb Employees from across Canada and now we want to hear from you!
If you work at a Caleb facility, we want to hear your story;
Email the EyeOnCaleb Tip Line
Visit SEIU-West
A stable workforce is the key to satisfied residents.
Thank You Eye On Caleb Fans!!!
One lucky reader from Saskatoon, SK became our 2500th Visitor to EyeOnCaleb.com - Give yourselves a round of applause!!!
The EyeOnCaleb Crew want to take a moment to thank each and every one of our visitors and fans for taking the time to stop by and read a bit about Val’s story and the story of all Caleb Group Workers…
Now that we have you here, please take a moment and ask yourself the following;
Why would Caleb pay its non-union Workers lower rates than their Workers who are represented by SEIU-West, for doing the exact same jobs?
Why would Caleb offer less sick leave to their non-union Workers than it does to their Workers who are unionized with SEIU-West?
Why should the Caleb Village Kindersley have such a reportedly high staff turnover rate in its first year of operation?
Why would Caleb fire a worker for exercising her right to talk to a Union?
What can you do to make your Caleb Group Facility a better place?
A stable workforce is the key to satisfied residents.
Tell us your story by emailing the EyeOnCaleb Tip Line
Visit SEIU-West
We’ve reached a milestone today! A lucky reader from Humboldt, SK was our 1000th Visitor to the Eye On Caleb website!!! (Give yourselves a round of applause) Think about it, that means that Val’s Story has been seen on computer screens across Saskatchewan and around the World over a thousand times! In fact, we’ve had visitors from as far away as BC, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Nova Scotia, the USA and even Trinidad & Tobago. The message is getting out, you can’t fire workers for talking to a Union, and you can’t keep good people like Val down!
Visit SEIU-West
The Eye On Caleb Team hits the road again! This time our Crew visited Humboldt, SK another planned site for a Caleb Extended Care Village. While visiting Humboldt they had the opportunity to distribute fliers at the Mall and took time to talk with the public, the Humboldt Journal and visited City Hall. Humboldt is a very tight knit community and concern was expressed to our Crew over Val’s firing and the reported high rate of staff turnover at the Caleb Village Kindersley. We share that concern and we promised to keep Humboldt residents up to date with the progress of our Campaign. Thanks Humboldt!
Visit SEIU-West
“It makes me proud to know that so many Union Workers were willing to get on our bus and head to Kindersley to show their support for our friend Val. SEIU-West rallied in Kindersley, not just for Val, but for every worker in Saskatchewan who wants to exercise their Right to Organize. We are here to show the Caleb Group that they can’t fire you for wanting a Union and they can’t stop the Union.”
Barb Cape, President of SEIU-West talking of the Rally in Kindersley, SK on Thursday 25 March 2010
Visit SEIU-West
Unionized workers from across Saskatchewan came together on Thursday, 25 March 2010 to host an information picket in front of the Caleb Village Retirement Community, an assisted care facility in Kindersley, SK. The Caleb Villages are constructed and managed by Saskatoon’s Caleb Group.
Over twenty workers from SEIU-West and the UFCW came from across the Province to support Valerie (Val) Lafortune, a Shift Supervisor in the Housekeeping Department, who was fired from her position for talking to a Union.
At the rally Val made the following statement;
“Thank you for coming out today. For those of you who don’t know me my name is Val Lafortune and I am the reason you are all here. Last week I was fired from my job at the Caleb Village, Kindersley for talking to the Union.
I want to thank everyone from the SEIU and the other Unions for coming from all across the province today to show me your support.
The Caleb Village is like a big family, and the residents at the Caleb have always told me that every time a staff member gets fired, it’s like a death in the family. I started at Caleb Kindersley when it opened its doors on the 1st of June 2009 and since I was fired last week there is now only one person left from the original staff still in the building.
For a small town like Kindersley that’s a lot of people fired, and a lot of upset residents at the Caleb. So the reason why I talked to the Union is that I have been trying to find a way to stop all these firings and to try and find a way to fix the problems in the building.
I did this so that the residents at the Caleb wouldn’t be upset all the time. I have always said that the problems in the building had to stop, and I was wrongfully dismissed because I was trying to fix those problems by talking to the Union.
Caleb thought they could stop the problems by firing one more staffer… It’s plain to see, they can’t stop this now!
I ask that you respect my privacy at this time and I thank you for your support.”
Visit SEIU-West
On Tuesday 16 March 2010 workers at the Caleb Village Retirement Community, an assisted care facility in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, were shocked to discover that one of their long time co-workers, Valerie (Val) Lafortune had been fired from her position as a Shift Supervisor in the Housekeeping Department for talking to a Union.
“In Saskatchewan every worker still has the right to organize.” said John Benoit, Director of Organizing for SEIU-West. “It is confusing how the Caleb Group with three other unionized facilities, in Regina, Moose Jaw and Swift Current would fire someone in Kindersley for talking to the very same Union.”
“My last review was a couple of weeks ago and it was high and I even filled in for my manager when she went on vacation” said Val “But when she called me in the office and told me I had to go, she couldn’t look me in the eye or tell me why… and so I knew she heard that I was talking to the Union.”
The Caleb Group offers independent retirement living rental units at its eight facilities in Saskatchewan and they have plans and approval to build several more. The Caleb Village in Kindersley is the first of their facilities to offer residents the option to purchase their suite.
“We have recently developed a new and innovative model for smaller markets” Caleb president Darrell Remai told the crowd at a December public meeting in Moosomin, SK “The first model of this type opened in June in Kindersley and has been an outstanding success.”
It is estimated that since the Caleb Village Kindersley opened its doors in 2009 it has experienced a near 90% staff turnover rate. Val was one of only two remaining original staff since the facility opened it doors. “Stability is important to the residents…” said Val “They like to see the same faces every day, they don’t like it when it’s always new people.”
SEIU-West is planning an information picket to protest the unjust firing of longtime employee Val Lafortune, for talking to a Union, Thursday 25 March 2010 at 15:00 in front of the Caleb Village Kindersley, 60 Stevenson Cr., Kindersley, SK.
Visit SEIU-West
