MOOSE JAW — More than 20 health-care workers picketed outside the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital on Dec. 3 to express their frustration over not having a contract for nearly two years.
The SEIU-West members — from the hospital, from home care, and Pioneer Lodge — braved brisk, cold winds as they walked along Diefenbaker Drive during their two-hour “information picket,” with passing motorists regularly honking in support.
According to the union, many health-care workers have been without a collective agreement for more than 21 months, while the two sides — the other being the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) — remain “very far apart” in reaching a deal. The union hoped the pickets educated the public about the issues members faced and the state of the system.
Deirdre Wilson, an executive board member with SEIU-West and a home-care worker in Moose Jaw, explained that the union wanted to start bargaining in January 2023, but SAHO wasn’t ready to meet until October 2023.
Since then, negotiations have been slow because the two parties have met only once a month, she said. However, both parties were back at the bargaining table in Saskatoon on Dec. 2 and 3, so employees picketed to support their union.
“It is frustrating (to be here) because there should be no need for us to do (this). We should all be treated equally and have fair wages … ,” she continued. “Everybody else’s wages have gone up, but health-care workers and other public service workers get the increase.”
Most employees make more than minimum wage, but some earn below that baseline, Wilson noted. Meanwhile, members need better protection because of the physical violence they face with patients, which means more staff should be hired to narrow the client-to-worker ratio.
Health professionals “are the best value” for the tax dollars that Saskatchewanians pay for this service, so improvements to their working conditions and increases in compensation will allow staff to remain in this industry, she continued.
Wilson noted that SEIU-West has met with the province’s bargaining reps and the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s senior leadership, while it has written to Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and arranged a meeting with him this month.
The union and the employer remain “very far apart from reaching a deal,” which may only change if employees “take some serious action” to push the matter, she said. However, staff can’t strike because the Saskatchewan Employment Act considers them to be “essential service” providers, and they must jump through certain hoops before they can take legal strike action.
SEIU-West is encouraging residents to support its members by sending a letter to Cockrill through the union’s website, seiuwest.ca, as part of its “Backbone of Healthcare” campaign.
Engaging in an “information picket” was a great experience, while the event had a good turnout and showed that staff are fully behind their bargaining committee, Wilson added.
The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com contacted SAHO for comment but did not hear back by press time. However, the organization had a news release on its website summarizing the negotiations it had with SEIU-West in late September.
“SAHO remains committed to a fair and transparent bargaining process. It is our intent that all employees … covered by three collective agreements with the provider unions maintain internal equity for monetary and non-wage monetary terms and conditions and benefit equally in the opportunities of a new single employer,” SAHO said.
“The SAHO proposal package seeks to maintain the integrity of the three provider unions while finding common solutions to common issues.”
