We know where our contracts are vulnerable. Now, how do we fix them? Secure hard prohibitions, protect workers from AI displacement, and bring public service back home.

We cannot protect public services or union positions by relying on the outdated contract language of the past. Having exposed the gaps in our current collective agreements, SGEU has shifted its focus to a practical strategy for upcoming bargaining rounds.

SGEU’s Anti-Privatization Committee mandate isn’t to create a rigid, one-size-fits-all contract. Instead, they have engineered a series of core bargaining concepts that our negotiating team can adapt for our 72 collective agreements.

Our goal is simple: shift from weak process rules to bulletproof outcome protections.

7 Core Bargaining Strategies

Every upcoming round of negotiations, beginning with the Public Service/Government Employment (PS/GE) and the Health Sector, will prioritize these seven strategic pillars:

1. Replace Intent with Hard Prohibition (Highest Priority): We must eliminate vague phrases like “it is not the intention of the employer to contract out.” We need a hard line in the sand that completely strips management of the right to outsource our work if it costs a single member their job.
2. Establish a Privatization Impact Review Committee (PIRC): Modelled on successful language in British Columbia, we want a joint union-employer committee that triggers automatically within 10 days of any privatization announcement affecting 5 or more employees. This gives SGEU real power to delay decisions and force alternatives.
3. Extend Notice Periods: 30-days is not enough time to mobilize. We are demanding a minimum 90-day written notice period (targeting 120 days for large-scale operations) delivered to SGEU before affected workers are told, along with full access to RFP (Request for Proposal) documents.
4. Intercept Procurement Traps: We must close the loophole where employers use the bidding process to slowly outsource our work under the guise of “new programming.” New language will force external bidders to match union wages and give hiring preferences to SGEU members.
5. Modernize Technological Change Language: Our tech clauses are outdated. We are demanding explicit coverage for Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital platforms and automation, backed by a firm guarantee: zero layoffs resulting from technology-driven restructuring.
6. Create “Contracting-In” Pathways: Anti-Privatization isn’t just about defense. We are fighting for permanent committees to review existing private contracts, forcing the employer to allow the union to pitch an in-house delivery alternative before any private contract is renewed.
7. Build an Ironclad Post-Privatization Safety Net: If an employer successfully forces privatization past us, our members cannot be left empty-handed.

The Post-Privatization Member Safety Net

• Priority Placement & Bumping: The absolute right to fill any vacant SGEU position or bump into a role held by a less senior member.
• Pay Maintenance: Up to 6 months of maintained pay during temporary internal assignments while seeking a permanent placement.
• Robust Severance: 3 weeks of pay per year of service (up to a full year’s salary) if no internal placement is found.
• The Right to “Bid  Back”: Transferred workers retain the right to apply for original internal SGEU vacancies for 24 months.
• Severance Safeguard: The employer must fund a secured severance to fully cover all potential severance obligations before privatization takes effect.

What does the language look like

To give you an idea of what we are fighting for at the bargaining table, here are sample language concepts developed by SGEU.

(Note: These are illustrative concepts that will be fully customized by legal counsel before being tabled.)

1. The Hard Prohibition Clause

"The Employer agrees not to contract out any work presently performed by employees covered by this Agreement if such contracting out would result in the layoff of any employee or a reduction in the total number of employees in the bargaining unit."

2. The AI & Tech Protection Clause

"Technological Change includes the introduction of any artificial intelligence tool, automated system, digital platform, or technology-enabled restructuring of work processes that results in a net reduction of positions or work volume. The Employer shall not introduce a Technological Change that results in the layoff of any bargaining unit employee."

3. The Transparency & RFP Disclosure Clause

"The Employer shall provide the Union with a minimum of 90 calendar days' written notice before any decision is made or implemented to contract out work. At the same time as any request for proposal (RFP) is released to potential vendors, the Employer shall provide the Union with a copy of the RFP and all relevant financial analyses."

Taking the fight to the province: Five legislative demands

Bargaining contracts is only half the battle. To truly protect Saskatchewan’s public services, SGEU is launching a political advocacy campaign that targets the provincial government. We are demanding five key policy and legislative reforms:

Moving forward together

SGEU has the institutional knowledge, the deep sector coverage, and the passionate member base to win this fight across our 72 collective agreements.

The legal reality is clear: only explicit outcome protection works at arbitration. Our review proved that our current contracts rely too heavily on weak, process-only rules that fail us when an employer decides to privatize. Other provincial unions have already moved this, and it’s time for SGEU to lead.

As we head into upcoming rounds of bargaining, let’s make it clear to employers across Saskatchewan: our jobs, our public services, and our contracts are no longer up for compromise. Get involved with your local bargaining unit, stay informed and let’s win the security we deserve.