SGEU rallies spotlight staffing, wages and rural health jobs
LJI LogoNicole GoldsworthyLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterSaskToday. caMELFORT — Healthcare workers represented by the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union are set to rally in Melfort,. . .
LJI LogoNicole GoldsworthyLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterSaskToday. caMELFORT — Healthcare workers represented by the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union are set to rally in Melfort, Nipawin and Tisdale on June 17, calling for a new collective agreement, improved staffing levels and measures to protect rural health-care jobs. The rallies, scheduled from 3 p. m. to 4 p. m. outside hospitals in the three communities, are being organized by SGEU health providers, who say workers are facing mounting pressures amid contract negotiations that have stretched beyond three years. According to SGEU, approximately 1,800 health provider members across Saskatchewan are represented in the bargaining unit, including licensed practical nurses, continuing care assistants, maintenance workers, food service workers, schedulers, environmental services staff, laundry workers, payroll and finance employees, security officers and other support staff. The union represents roughly 80 classifications in total. “Our members are tired, frustrated and don’t feel valued,” said Sharri Laczko, SGEU’s representative in Melfort. The union’s collective agreement expired March 31, 2023. Since then, workers have continued without a renewed contract while negotiations continue between health-sector unions and employers. SGEU says members are experiencing burnout, staffing shortages and increasing workloads while wages have failed to keep pace with inflation. “That we haven’t had a collective agreement since 2023, our members are overworked, we experience burn out, underpaid, we are working short staffed on a daily occurrence,” Laczko said. The union is also raising concerns about the future of rural health-care jobs. Laczko said SGEU believes the Saskatchewan Health Authority is increasingly centralizing positions such as payroll, finance and staff scheduling in larger urban centres, particularly Saskatoon, reducing employment opportunities in smaller communities. “The SHA is eroding jobs from rural & remote Saskatchewan, such as staff scheduling, payroll & finance; they are wanting to centralize these classifications to the bigger urban centres,” she said. Privatization is another issue the union plans to highlight during the rallies. Laczko said some laundry services have already been contracted out and expressed concern about additional support services being outsourced. The dispute also centres on wages. Health providers represented by SGEU, CUPE 5430 and SEIU-West are seeking a $5-per-hour increase across all pay bands retroactive to April 1, 2023, followed by annual wage increases of four per cent from 2024 through 2027. The Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations’ latest offer includes wage increases of three per cent for 2023 and 2024, followed by annual increases of two per cent from 2025 through 2027. According to SGEU, health provider members have not received a wage increase since April 1, 2022, when salaries rose by two per cent. Previous increases were two per cent in 2020 and 2021, one per cent in 2019 and no increases in 2017 or 2018. Laczko said compensation and working conditions are contributing to recruitment and retention challenges throughout the health-care system. “Our members enjoy what they do, they love looking after our residents, patients and clients and supporting the people of this province,” she said. “We need to see a fair wage increase soon. Many of our members are leaving the healthcare field to seek employment elsewhere as the compensation is better and the workload is easier. ”She added that workers feel their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been recognized in recent years. “During the pandemic we were praised as being hero’s and now the staff feels like we are being treated as zeros. ”The rallies are scheduled to take place at Melfort Hospital, Tisdale Hospital and Nipawin Hospital. Province defends health-care strategy amid SGEU rallyThe Saskatchewan government is defending its approach to health-care staffing and labour negotiations as members of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) continue to raise concerns about wages, staffing levels and recruitment challenges, particularly in rural communities. In a statement provided following recent SGEU rallies across the province, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said the government respects the collective bargaining process and remains committed to reaching a negotiated agreement. Collective bargaining negotiations continue between the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and SGEU. According to the minister, SAHO tabled a wage proposal on April 9, that would provide a total wage increase of 12 per cent over a five-year agreement covering 2023 to 2027. The minister emphasized the government’s appreciation for health-care workers and their contributions to the province’s health system. “Health-care workers are valued and appreciated for their dedication to patients and the health system,” he said. Cockrill also pointed to the province’s Health Human Resources Action Plan as evidence of efforts to strengthen Saskatchewan’s health-care workforce. Since the plan was launched in September 2022, more than 7,500 health-care professionals have joined health-care teams across Saskatchewan, according to the ministry. The government says those additions have helped improve staffing levels and patient access to care throughout the province. The minister further highlighted the province’s recently announced Patients First Health Care Plan, which outlines more than 50 initiatives aimed at improving health-care delivery. Among the measures identified by the government are expanding training seats across multiple health disciplines, supporting workforce recruitment and retention, and investing in nursing career progression initiatives. The statement comes as SGEU continues to advocate for improved wages, stronger staffing levels and enhanced recruitment and retention efforts, particularly in rural and northern Saskatchewan, where health-care providers have reported ongoing workforce pressures. Negotiations between SAHO and SGEU remain ongoing. The union’s collective agreement expired March 31, 2023. Since then, workers have continued without a renewed contract while negotiations continue between health-sector unions and employers. The Ministry of Health did not respond to questions about concerns raised by SGEU regarding job centralization and privatization. The union has alleged that positions, including staff scheduling, payroll and finance jobs, are being moved from rural and remote Saskatchewan communities to larger urban centres. -Advertisement-