Health-care workers rally in Saskatoon to call for new contract, wage supplement during pandemic

Health-care workers who said the pandemic has them working harder than ever before rallied in Saskatoon on Wednesday.

SEIU-West, which represents 13,000 people in Saskatchewan, hosted the rallies. 

"The general public, through this pandemic, I think, have really had their eyes opened and started to get an understanding of the impact of a pandemic in long-term care," Barbara Cape, president of SEIU-West, said at a rally at St. Paul's Hospital. 

Cape said the impacts have been felt in all care settings, not just long-term care homes. She said staffing levels at places like acute care and homecare were also affected.

SEIU-West members have worked without a contract from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) since March 31, 2017.

Cape called for a new collective agreement containing better recruitment and retention planning, which would help reduce the workload for those currently employed in facilities SEIU-West serves.

"We were working at the redline, so to speak, prior to the pandemic," she said. 

Cape also called on the government to expand the temporary wage supplement program, which currently serves people who make less than $24 an hour and $2,500 a month, to include all health-care workers. 

The government expanded the temporary wage supplement program about two weeks ago to include more health-care facilities, she said, but because of the $24 an hour and $2,500 a month thresholds many SEIU-West members don't qualify.

"The very workers, the very essential nature of our work, is not being recognized," she said.

The government of Saskatchewan said SAHO and SEIU-West were in bargaining negotiations with the assistance of the labour relations and mediation office.