Saskatchewan health-care workers vote 99% in favour of job action: CUPE

Members of Saskatchewan’s largest health care union voted 99 per cent in favour of job action after what it calls years of failed negotiations with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and provincial government.

More than 13,000 health-care workers in Saskatchewan cast ballots in the decisive vote, according to a news release shared by CUPE Local 5430. The union represents more than 14,000 employees who work in clerical, technical, nursing, support and plant operation roles.

The union’s members have been working without a contract with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) since their previous agreement expired in March of 2023.

It has also been four and a half years since any wage increases were issued, according to the union.

“Despite critical short-staffing, crushing workloads, and declining morale, CUPE 5430 members have continued to step up and provide critical care and services,” the release said, claiming SHA has “slow-walked negotiations.”

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CUPE local president Bashir Jalloh said the union continues to bargain, but members are prepared to take job action.

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“(The vote result) shows our unity. It shows our courage. It shows our readiness to fight for what we deserve,” Bashir Jalloh, the president of CUPE 5430, said.

“We will not settle for crumbs. We will not be ignored. We need a deal that keeps members working in their communities,” he continued, speaking with union members at a rally in front of Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill’s North Battleford office.

The union claims the latest proposal from the SHA includes demands for health-care workers to be forced to travel out of town with little notice, and calls for the union to allow additional contracted, non-union workers to work alongside CUPE members.

The recent SHA offer also failed to address wage erosion, the union said, noting the cost of living has increased by 33.7 per cent in Saskatchewan from 2012-2025. General wage increases for the CUPE 5430 members have been closer to 14 per cent in that time frame.

In an emailed statement to Global News, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill thanked health-care workers for the aid they provide Saskatchewan patients with every day.

“Our government remains optimistic that we will be able to reach an agreement that works for health care workers, patients, employers, and communities,” the minister’s statement reads.

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“We share the same goal as our health care unions – we want to get a deal done so that Saskatchewan health care workers focus on what they do best – providing high-quality care to patients.”

Cockrill said the best place for both parties to achieve an ideal outcome will be at the bargaining table.