(REGINA) CUPE 5430 met with the Minister of Health today to demand action on healthcare staffing shortages, and a speedy resolve to bargaining.

“Our message to the Minister of Health was clear: If this government wants to actually fix the healthcare crisis plaguing our province, the March 19 provincial budget must include funding earmarked to improve working conditions and wages for healthcare workers,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430. “It has been too long since healthcare providers in this province have had a wage increase.”

CUPE 5430 also asked Minister Cockrill to direct SAHO to speed up the process of bargaining with health providers unions. CUPE members have been without a contract since March 31, 2023.

“Two years without a collective agreement is two years too long. Our members haven’t had a wage increase in nearly three years. We need to see improvements to working conditions and total compensation immediately,” said Jalloh.

CUPE also sounded the alarm on staff shortages that continue to cause service disruptions across the province. Since January there have been service disruptions at many health facilities including Lloydminster, North Battleford, Hafford, Redvers, Oxbow, and Kipling.

“We need to invest in hiring more permanent full-time staff because the reliance on temporary part time staff in health care is exasperating recruitment challenges. No one wants to move to rural Saskatchewan for a part time job,” said Jalloh. “We need to make sure Saskatchewan is a good place to work if we are going to recruit and retain staff.”

CUPE 5430 also discussed the need to respect the work of CUPE members. Issues raised included:

• Utilizing Licensed Practical Nurses to their full scope of practice
• Addressing discrepancies in mileage pay between provider unions, and HSAS staff
• Dealing with violence in the workplace