A Labour Day message from SGEU President Tracey Sauer

As the summer winds down and the hustle and bustle of fall approaches, I am always grateful for Labour Day. It reminds us that many of the things we enjoy over the summer season—beautiful lakes and parks, safe highways and strong communities—are brought to us by the working people of Saskatchewan.
 
Moving into fall, our schedules may change, but we will still rely on workers to support the services and activities we love. We know this is true for every season and each of us benefit year-round from the tireless efforts of workers in our province.

A strong history of advocacy

For more than 100 years, SGEU has been supporting and advocating for workers in Saskatchewan. We’re proud of our history and what we’ve accomplished to ensure the people of Saskatchewan have strong public services, good benefits and salaries, and safe working conditions.
 
We haven’t advocated by ourselves. The labour movement is strongest when we stand in solidarity together and collectively advocate for needed changes to improve the quality of people’s lives. SGEU is proud to be affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress, National Union of Public and Government Employees, and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.

Brought to you by the labour movement

Speaking of solidarity, did you know the following list of benefits, supports, and improvements has been brought to you by the labour movement? I encourage you to explore the photo album below for more details on each of these.

  • 40-hour work week
  • Employment insurance
  • Employment and pay equity
  • Minimum wage
  • Occupational Health & Safety
  • Parental leave
  • Sick leave 

That’s a lot of good things, brought to you by a lot of good people.

You are the labour movement

As I close my Labour Day message, I want to remind you that the labour movement is not a vague distant concept—it’s you. You are the labour movement. Whether you are an SGEU member, a member of another union, or someone who support workers—you are all the labour movement.
 
The actions you take to support yourselves, to advocate for others, and to band together to gain and protect workers’ rights are a victory for working people across the province and country.
 
SGEU has accomplished a lot over the past 100 years and we’re not done yet. This Labour Day, I invite you to join me in celebrating you—the working people—who bring us the good things in life.
 
In solidarity,
 
Tracey Sauer (she/her)
SGEU President

Click on each image below to enlarge it