Saskatchewan health-care workers’ union to vote on potential strike this fall

Saskatchewan's largest health-care union will hold a strike vote this fall, signaling potential job action by more than 14,000 workers. CUPE Local 5430, representing staff in hospitals, long-term care homes, and other medical facilities, announced the vote for September.

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The biggest problem we have in the health care system in Saskatchewan is the short staffing. We do not have the staff to do the job.

The union cites increasing workloads, persistent staffing shortages, and years without meaningful wage improvements as reasons for the potential strike. Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE Local 5430, emphasized that short staffing is the most critical issue facing the healthcare system in Saskatchewan. He argued that retaining and recruiting staff should be prioritized over constantly shifting employees to fill gaps.

"The biggest problem we have in the health care system in Saskatchewan is the short staffing. We do not have the staff to do the job," Jalloh told Global News. He added that low wages are driving healthcare workers to leave the province for better pay in places like Alberta and Manitoba. "They do not want to address the elephant in the room, which is the low wages. And if you don’t do that, this problem we have is going to keep compounding. People are going to leave."

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They do not want to address the elephant in the room, which is the low wages. And if you don’t do that, this problem we have is going to keep compounding. People are going to leave.

Negotiations with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) have been protracted, spanning over three and a half years since the last collective agreement expired in 2023. Jalloh expressed frustration, stating that the employer's key priorities are hindering progress. These priorities include the "free movement of work and employees," which the union fears could lead to job losses and instability, and the unrestricted use of contract workers, which they believe threatens job security.

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We have been bargaining for over three and a half years now, and we have been extremely patient trying to work with the employer.

"This is not something that we want to do," Jalloh said regarding the potential job action, emphasizing the union's patience. The outcome of the strike vote will determine the next steps for the union and its members.

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This is not something that we want to do.