SASKATOON, Sask. — Provincial Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill announced on Friday, Oct. 23, that a tentative agreement has been reached between the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and one of the several health care workers' unions it has been negotiating with.
The Saskatchewan Government Employees Union (SGEU), representing more than 2,000 employees working in health care facilities in northern and central Saskatchewan, and SAHO agreed to a new six-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The SGEU’s CBA is retroactive, took effect on April 1, 2023, and ends on March 31, 2029. Details of the new collective bargaining agreement will be shared following ratification by SGEU members and SAHO.
The deal covers all licensed practical nurses, continuing care assistants, medical laboratory technologists, combined laboratory and X-ray technicians, pharmacy technicians, cooks, schedulers, security officers, food services workers, finance officers, environmental services workers, and facility maintenance workers and operators.
"I am pleased that SGEU and SAHO have reached a tentative agreement that addresses key compensation and retention priorities for health care workers while supporting the continuity of high-quality care for patients across Saskatchewan. I want to thank both bargaining teams for their hard work, professionalism and commitment throughout the bargaining process," said Cockrill
SAHO is still negotiating with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 5430, the Service Employees International Union-West (SEIU-West), the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS), and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses.
Cockrill, in an interview early this week, said he also sees progress in the ongoing contract negotiations between the government and other health care workers' unions, as he has been meeting with their representatives to hammer out an agreement finally.
SAHO’s talks with the unions have been stalled over employer proposals on issues about staff mobility and work relocations. The bargaining sessions continue, with the unions firm on their demand for fair wage increases and safe staffing levels.
Cockrill expressed confidence that an agreement can also be reached that addresses workers’ concerns while supporting patient care, and expects further discussions over the coming weeks as health care workers’ unions visit the legislature for various days of action.
He acknowledged that progress has varied between negotiations, with some discussions advancing incrementally while others have seen more significant developments. He emphasized the need to balance health care workers' interests with Saskatchewan patients' needs.
“I’ve said this all along, I’m very confident that we are going to get to an agreement that works for workers but also works for the patients of this province,” said Cockrill, who acknowledged the contributions made by all provincial health care workers, from larger urban facilities to smaller community and district hospitals.
“Our healthcare workers around the province do an incredible job caring for patients. We’ve talked about portability of staff and so on, and that continues to be a discussion point at the bargaining table,” said Cockrill, adding that negotiations also involve addressing barriers that can affect patients’ access to care, including the portability of staff between facilities.
More action needed
Shadow Minister for Rural and Remote Health Jared Clarke and Associate Shadow Minister for Health Keith Jorgenson, however, called out on the government to address unresolved labour disputes with all health care workers’ unions, arguing that staffing challenges, working conditions and stalled contract negotiations must be solved to improve the province’s health care system.
In separate interviews, they said expanding hospital capacity alone will not address ongoing pressures without a stronger commitment to supporting and retaining frontline health care workers.
Clarke criticized the government for letting CBA negotiations with health care workers remain unresolved for almost four years and warned that the prolonged dispute could seriously harm Saskatchewan’s health care system, particularly if an agreement isn't reached before the next provincial election in 2028.
He raised concerns about wages, noting that health care workers have gone without a pay increase, describing them as some of the lowest-paid health care professionals in the province and arguing that their earning potential compares unfavourably with wages available in neighbouring Alberta.
“How do we retain those workers? How do we keep morale high in the healthcare system? The Saskatchewan Party government needs to get to the table,” said Clarke, who also linked compensation and workplace morale to the government’s ability to retain experienced employees, and added that workers deserved a fair deal.
Jorgensen, meanwhile, argued that the government must recognize the essential role health care employees play in ensuring patients receive timely treatment, saying hospital beds cannot improve patient outcomes without enough staff to provide care.
“I think part of the underlying problem is the Minister [Cockrill] thinks that beds treat people and keeps forgetting that staff treat people,” Jorgensen said, criticizing what he described as an excessive focus on expanding hospital capacity without adequately addressing staffing concerns.
He urged Cockrill to meet directly with frontline health care workers to hear their concerns about workplace conditions and identify practical solutions to improve patient flow, adding that engaging with employees could help the government understand the challenges affecting hospitals and determine how to admit patients to beds more quickly.
Jorgensen argued that listening to workers would be a critical step toward addressing the problems facing the health care system. He stressed that unresolved contract disputes and the treatment of health care employees must be addressed if the system is to improve. He said workers need respect, adequate support, and the resources needed to deliver the standard of care patients expect.
