By Allison Werbowetsky
Swift Current

“We want a contract! We want a contract!” was just one of the many chants heard marching down Central Avenue in Swift Current Feb. 25 as a group of disgruntled health-care workers rallied to Premier Brad Wall’s constituency office.

“We’re gonna give ‘em the boot!” shouted Service Employees International Union (SEIU-West) president, Barbara Cape, leading the rally.

“The main message for the premier is that the constituents in the city of Swift Current, the health-care workers in this city, their families and their neighbours, they want to see settlement in the collective bargaining process in the health-care system,” she said.

Ever since SEIU-West, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) rejected the final offer for a collective agreement given by the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) Jan. 27, members have been trying to get SAHO back to the bargaining table. The final offer tabled by SAHO is a four year contract with general wage increases of 4%-2%-1.5% and 2%, provisions for retro-active pay amongst other offers. Details of the final offer can be seen at: www.working-together.info.

“Our members, overwhelmingly, have told us, ‘Get back to the bargaining table and bargain a collective agreement with SAHO,’” Cape said.

One of the more prominent concerns is the deal the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) made with the ministry last year.

“SUN members get their professional fees paid in full, our members only get a portion of them paid and they work side-by-side. It just doesn’t make sense, and this is the city, let’s face it, where life is supposed to make sense,” she said.

All 25,000 members of the tri-union group have been asked to write one letter or make one phone call to their area MLA, the premier or the minister of health and ask the important questions.

“Is health care important enough in the province of Saskatchewan? Are we ready to get back to the table? Are you ready to put something fair on the table?” Cape re-iterated.

However, so far Premier Wall has “ignored” them all, she added.

Union members have several concerns, the most prominent being low wages, equity issues and a constant lack a respect from the health regions.

“After 32 years of working I just can’t believe the way they’re treating us — and it’s getting worse and worse. I’m sick of it. I tell you, I deserve better than what they’re giving me,” said Wanda Larose, long-time recreation worker at the Shaunavon Hospital and Care Centre.

Cape, Larose and the other rallying SEIU-West members had hoped getting the attention of the provincial government that day would help put additional pressure on SAHO to reconsider their final offer and get back to the table. Unfortunately for them, no one was inside Wall’s office at the time. Cape, however, wasn’t surprised.

“The response from Brad Wall (all along) has been just short of ... well, just short of nothing. I’m very disappointed,” she said.

If their plea continues to be ignored, SEIU-West will look into other options.

“The next steps really need to be what are the members willing to do to press the point home even further?” Cape said.

The health-care workers have been without a collective agreement for two years, and will be looking at the next provincial election for payback if nothing gets resolved.

“Help us get this collective agreement or we’re going to ‘’boot’ you out of office!” Cape exclaimed.

Ideally, however, SEIU-West hopes to work out an agreeable, proactive solution with SAHO.