Hundreds of CUPE 5430 health care workers and supporters gathered at the Saskatchewan Legislature today to demand fair wages and respect for the frontline workers who keep the province’s health care system running.
Buses from across Saskatchewan brought workers from Prince Albert, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Yorkton, Estevan, Moosomin, and many rural communities. With signs, chants, and energy, the crowd sent a clear message: health care workers deserve better.
“Our members are the heart of the health care system but we are being overlooked and underpaid,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430. “We show up every day for our patients. Today, we showed up for each other.”
CUPE 5430 represents over 14,000 health care workers across Saskatchewan. Members haven’t received a wage increase in three years despite rising costs and worsening workloads.
“Health care workers are holding the system together with their bare hands,” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “These workers are exhausted, overworked, and underpaid. It’s time for the Sask Party government to step up and deliver the fair wages and safe staffing that our health care system desperately needs.”
The rally also heard from Sandra Seitz, retired CUPE 5430 president and lifelong health care advocate. “I may be retired but I will always stand with health care workers. They are the heart of our hospitals, long-term care homes, and clinics. They deserve more than thank-you signs - they deserve fair pay and dignity on the job.”
Niamh Power, an administrative assistant and continuing care aide from Galloway Health Centre in Oxbow, spoke passionately about the human impact of chronic underfunding. “We care for others every day, but it’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet,” said Power. “It’s not just about wages, it’s about being respected, valued, and safe at work.”
The rally was part of a growing wave of mobilization among health care workers across the province, as bargaining continues with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO).