HUMBOLDT — Local healthcare workers with the Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West) held signs and banners outside St. Mary's Villa in Humboldt to protest not having a collective agreement.
“These are local members of the community,” said Christine Miller, SEIU-West’s communications co-ordinator. “They live and work in the community or surrounding areas, because there are people who come in from other communities to work in Humboldt.”
In a press release, the union said they are frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), and have been without a contract since March 31, 2017.
“A collective agreement basically sets out all of the rules and ways how a workplace works. So it’s important, it creates an equal playing field with everyone, everyone’s following the same rules,” Miller said.
The union blames the delay on the Saskatchewan Party government’s refusal to fund what they call “a fair deal”.
Barbara Cape, president of SEIU-West said that their members will no longer tolerate systematic underfunding which is cause for chronic understaffing, increased wait times for services and a dismissive attitude of those who are accountable.
“Though we are now entering conciliation, it remains to be seen if the newly elected SaskParty government will finally hear the voices of our members and the public who want to see investment in our public health care services,” Cape said.
“We know that maintaining quality health care remains a priority, as people need reliable, timely health care services and they want these services to be provided by health care workers within their home communities.”
During these demonstrations, the members of SEIU-West are ordered to follow safely guidelines by physically distancing, wearing masks, practicing good hand hygiene, and attempting to maintain a maximum of 30 people in any given demonstration area.
