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
EyeOnCaleb Spreads the Message to Regina!
On transit shelters across Regina the EyeOnCaleb Crew is continuing to spread the message!
We’re spreading the message to the Citizens of Saskatchewan and letting them know of the reportedly high turnover rates of workers in Extended Care Facilities, like the estimated 95% staff change at the Caleb Village, Kindersley - This in their first 11 months of operation.
But our work is not just focused on Kindersley, our goal is to let every worker in a Caleb Seniors Community, or any other Extended Care Facility, across Saskatchewan know that You still have the right to Organize a Union in your Facility.
Email the EyeOnCaleb Tip Line
Visit SEIU-West
ITV Humbolt Reports on the “Kick Off Celebration” and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Caleb Village, a 94 unit seniors retirement community in Humbolt, SK.
In the video Caleb Group of Companies Chairman Darrell Remai is interviewed and states that “We will employ between 35 and 40 full-time employees”. EyeOnCaleb wonders if these new employees in Humboldt will experience the same high turn over rates as has been said to occur at the pilot Caleb Village in Kindersley, SK.
It goes without saying that we at EyeOnCaleb support development in Saskatchewan and communities like Humboldt, Weyburn and Moosomin. Development means jobs and jobs mean growth. But we also think that an estimated 95% staff turnover rate would be challenging to morale in these Independent Living Communities for both employees and the paying residents.
From the letters and comments we are receiving from the EyeOnCaleb Tip Line we can only hope that more attention is focused on employee relations and resident satisfaction in Extended Care Facilities in the future.
A stable workforce is the key to satisfied residents.
Email the EyeOnCaleb Tip Line
Visit SEIU-West
Video ©2010 ITV Humboldt
Front Page Story in the Kindersley Clarion! The Eye On Caleb crew wants to thank the Kindersley Clarion for covering Val’s story and our information picket at the Caleb Village Kindersley. Our fifty copies have arrived and we are presently distributing them to town councils, seniors centers and other newspapers across the province of Saskatchewan. We have uploaded an image of the front page but would encourage you to contact the Clarion and order your own front page story at the low price of $1. Yes, they will ship a copy to you.
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
Last week was a busy one for the Eye On Caleb Team. Our Crews visited Weyburn and Moosomin, planned future sites for Caleb Extended Care Villages like the one that has experienced an estimated 95% staff turnover rate in Kindersley. While there they had the opportunity to distribute flyers to the public and tell Val’s story at Senior Citizens Centers, local chapters of the Canadian Legion and with Civic Officials at Town Hall. They also took time to meet with the Editors of the Weyburn Review and the Moosomin World-Spectator.
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
