This year, April Fool's Day was no joke for healthcare workers across the province as their expired Collective Agreement turned three years old. The date also marks four years without a wage increase for those workers. These are facts that SEIU-West's bargaining committee, in conjunction with the bargaining committees from the two other healthcare unions, have been working hard to remedy.
Recently, the Minister of Health expressed the government's focus on "getting a good deal" with the healthcare provider unions (SEIU-West, CUPE, and SGEU) for healthcare workers and confidence in the work done at the bargaining table. However, as your Vice President, Jason Monteith, remarked at the Legislature last week, "I feel they [SAHO and the Saskatchewan government] are slow walking this process. There doesn't seem to be a huge desire to get a deal and we're frustrated."
It's no secret that the cost of living, even here in Saskatchewan, is skyrocketing and wages aren't close to keeping pace. Healthcare workers in our province are continually being asked to do more with less, for the same wages they had in 2022—and 2023, and 2024, and 2025. But now, those wages have less buying power than they did back then. Workers are struggling. Workers are frustrated.
Wage increases have the most immediate impact on workers currently in healthcare and play a significant role in a robust recruitment and retention plan. Good wages, ones that not only meet but exceed cost of living, provide workers the peace of mind that comes with knowing bills are paid and allows people sufficient rest instead of pushing through burnout with constant overtime hours. Those same wages keep our healthcare system staffed with the individuals trained and experienced in providing the best care to Saskatchewan residents everyday. And good wages recruit new workers into the system.
"There's work to be done to make a career in healthcare attractive again," says Lisa Zunti, SEIU-West President, "and wages are a key piece to that puzzle."
The bargaining committees from the three Provider Unions meet with the representatives from SAHO again this week to continue discussions of these outstanding common and individual table items aimed at reaching a collective agreement.
If you are an SEIU-West member with collective agreement questions or issues, please contact the Member Resource Center at 1-888-999-7348 ext 1, email [email protected], or complete the Contact Us form on our website.