WEYBURN - Over 200 health care workers from across Saskatchewan marched on the Weyburn General Hospital on Tuesday morning and held an information rally, demanding a fair deal from the provincial government and their employers.
The members of CUPE Local 5430 were in Weyburn for their annual meeting at McKenna Hall, and took time to march over to the hospital to hold the public rally to voice their grievances with the state of the health care system in the province.
CUPE President Bashir Jalloh addressed the rally, noting the union has been without a collective agreement for 17 months now. He said they will be meeting for talks on Sept. 18, and then not again until November as they take October off for the provincial election.
“It’s been going on for far too long. We can’t cope with the cost of living in this province. We have chronic short-staffing that is putting significant pressure on our workers, who are being run off their feet,” said Jalloh.
The government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority have misplaced priorities, he said, noting they are busy spending resources to recruit health care workers from outside of Canada, but are not making any effort at retention of those workers.
“The other problem with this government is they are spending millions of dollars building facilities. We all want good facilities, but before you build those facilities, you should have a plan for how you’re going to staff them,” said Jalloh.
He pointed out a new facility in Regina that was supposed to be open and running 24/7, but is operating at half capacity because they don’t have the staff.
In addition, contracting out and privatizing health care is creating low morale, as these workers are making only a fraction of what regular health care workers make.
With no collective agreement now for the past 17 months, he said talks are “excruciatingly slow” as they are busy with misplaced priorities.
A retired health care worker from Weyburn, Sandra Seitz, also spoke at the rally, and noted patients are often sent on to Regina or another centre like Redvers if the tests or care here is not available.
“For somebody on a fixed income, or a part-time job or a retiree, that’s not only a physical impairment but could be very financially draining,” she said, when these patients are sent elsewhere for care instead of treating them here in Weyburn.
“These are emergent situations. My message to SAHO, the SHA and the government is start listening to your front-line workers. They’re the only experts who can help fix the care system,” said Seitz.
CUPE 5430 represents over 14,000 health care providers working for the Saskatchewan Health Authority and affiliates in five major classification areas: clerical, technical, nursing, support, and plant operations.
