After hearing from members and individuals interested in joining us for the information picket in Prince Albert on March 12^th, we have moved the start time to 12:00 noon.

This would allow more people to join us for this important action and send a strong message to the public and the employer about the challenging working conditions in health care.

Please consider sharing this poster on social media and with colleagues, friends, and family. We are stronger when we work together.If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Phone: 306-922-0600

REGINA: Today, alongside Saskatchewan health care workers and CUPE’s National President Mark Hancock, CUPE 5430 released their new report From Pay Cheque to Pay Cheque: The impact of the rising cost of living on health care workers.

The report [CUPE 5430 Cost of Living Report]  summarizes the results of a survey of Saskatchewan health care workers on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis over the last two years. It demonstrates that inflationary pressures have had a devastating impact on the well-being and families of CUPE 5430 members. It also shows that wage growth among these health workers has not kept pace with the growth in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the last decade.

“These health workers are the backbone of Saskatchewan’s public health system. It is devastating to hear the challenges they face putting food on their tables and keeping the lights on,” said Mark Hancock, CUPE’s National President. “It is clear their wages aren’t reflecting their value in the health system. It is unacceptable.”

Bargaining with SAHO took place Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. Discussions between the parties were more productive and more engaging than in the previous months of bargaining, which was a positive change.

We continued to advocate on the issues of overtime, variable hours, and standby. Working short is one of our biggest concerns. We focussed on improving terms and conditions of employment to address recruitment and retention concerns.

Your bargaining committee met with the employer for two and a half days from December 11 to 13.

SAHO spent the majority of our scheduled time together meeting as a committee having internal discussions and was not available for face-to-face conversations with us. We are frustrated with SAHO’s lack of preparation for these bargaining dates, and we hope this will be rectified moving forward.

REGINA: In light of ongoing short-staffing, unfilled vacancies and upcoming leaves among medical radiation technologists and nuclear medicine technologists, CUPE is calling for an immediate intervention from the Minister of Health to ensure staffing can be secured to avoid disruptions to diagnostic care.

“For over a decade, we have been sounding the alarm on behalf of our members that provide a vital service in the continuum of care,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430 and a nuclear medicine technologist. “The government sat on their hands instead of addressing the issue. Now, as waitlists grow, we are at risk of more disruptions of services and communities on bypass for critical care at a time when wait lists are as long as ever.”