Health care workers in Yorkton marched to demand that the provincial government reach a fair contract after more than three years without a wage increase.
CUPE 5430, the province’s largest health care union, hosted its annual general meeting in Yorkton on Sept. 9 and 10. As part of the event, workers marched from City Centre Park to the constituency office of MLA David Chan, holding signs and voicing frustration over what they describe as years of neglect from the government.
For many in attendance, the rally was about more than wages. It was about the future of public health care in Saskatchewan.
Union leaders say the province’s more than 14,000 CUPE health care workers — a group that includes licensed practical nurses, continuing care aides, pharmacy technicians, lab staff, hospital porters and food service workers — have gone without a contract and without pay increases for three consecutive years.
Sandee Michalchuck, a licensed practical nurse at Yorkton Regional Health Centre with more than four decades of experience, says the situation has reached a breaking point.
“Our jobs and our scope of practice have increased. Our jobs are mentally and physically exhausting,” she said. “Over the years, the acuity of our patients and their needs has increased, and so have our workloads. These increased workloads don’t just affect us. They affect all health care workers.”
Michalchuck said workers feel abandoned and undervalued, noting that many are denied vacation due to a lack of replacement staff, leading to burnout and high turnover.
“Over the last three years, CUPE members have received zero per cent, zero per cent and zero per cent,” she said. “This does not even meet the cost of living for most. Shame on the government. It is time that the government recognize our value and gives us a fair contract with the raise we deserve.”
Among those speaking at the rally was Pearl Blommeart, a retired CUPE health care worker who said the struggles she faced during her career remain unchanged — only worse.
“When I retired, I hoped things would be better for the next generation of workers, but today I see too many of the same struggles only heavier,” Blommeart said. “Fewer staff, higher demands, less respect. That is not progress. That is not the legacy we wanted to leave behind.”
Blommeart called health care workers “the backbone” of the system, warning that continued inaction will harm not only employees but also patients.
“Our communities deserve better and so do the people who provide the care,” she said. “Every time you stand up, you are protecting not only your rights but the dignity and safety of every patient who comes through those doors.”
CUPE 5430 president Bashir Jalloh told members that the challenges they face are not the result of dedication or effort, but political choices made at the provincial level.
“We have personally met with the minister of health five times. We have been to the legislature, we have sent letters, we have spoken to the opposition,” Jalloh said. “All we are asking for is better health care for this province.”
Jalloh outlined three key demands: competitive wages to stop workers from leaving the province, better working conditions to ensure staff can maintain a work-life balance and a real plan for recruitment and retention.
“People are using Saskatchewan as a stepping stone,” Jalloh said. “They come here, they get the experience and then they are leaving. We don’t want that if we want to maintain health care in this province.”
He pointed to neighbouring provinces, noting that workers are now leaving for Manitoba — a province that once faced long stretches without contracts but has recently made significant improvements to wages.
Speakers at the rally painted a picture of a system under severe stress. They described emergency rooms filled beyond capacity, long waits for basic services like blood work and chronic understaffing in hospitals and long-term care homes.
Michalchuck said health care workers are committed to caring for Saskatchewan residents, but they need support from the government to do it safely.
“All CUPE workers have cared for the people in this province, and we will continue to work hard on a daily basis,” she said. “But we want safe working environments, safe staffing levels in order to provide the care and the service that the taxpayers of this province deserve.”
Blommeart echoed that point, saying the crisis is not caused by front-line workers but by a lack of investment and planning.
“This crisis is the result of political choices. Short staffing, burnout and constant pressure on workers have become the new normal, and that is not acceptable,” she said.
Jalloh said union members have been patient, but they will not settle for another deal that leaves them behind.
“We are in this situation today because we have been settling,” he said. “We have been receiving zeros, zeros, zeros. I know the road ahead is going to be tough, but it is not something we can compromise on.”
He urged members to stay united behind their bargaining team.
“This is a fight we need to do. Whatever it takes not to go back to the zeros,” Jalloh said. “If we don’t, health care will continue to suffer. Today, we are healthcare workers. Tomorrow we could be the ones relying on health care.”
The rally in Yorkton is part of a broader debate in Saskatchewan about the state of health care. Communities across the province have reported staffing shortages, temporary service disruptions and difficulties recruiting workers to rural areas.
Union leaders argue that without competitive wages and improved conditions, Saskatchewan will continue to lose trained professionals to other provinces, putting further strain on the system.
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