The 3,000-member Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) took a break from their labour actions this week as they challenged Premier Brad Wall to order independent binding arbitration to avoid addition striking by health care professionals
The 3,000-member Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) took a break from their labour actions this week as they challenged Premier Brad Wall to order independent binding arbitration to avoid addition striking by health care professionals.
The break followed a week of labour disruption in Swift Current, along with an offer by the health care employers' representatives, the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), in which they beefed up the offer made to emergency service (EMS) workers.
In addition to their proposal to the union of general wage increases of 7.5 per cent over four years, SAHO offered a market-adjusted wage increase of almost nine per cent to EMS workers.
"The proposals tabled by SAHO offer fair, reasonable and competitive wages through general wage increases for all workers, and market-adjusted rates for almost half of the full-time equivalent (FTE) positions," said Susan Antosh, CEO of SAHO.
Payroll records indicate that there are 25 per cent more emergency services workers than there were four years ago, including a 45 per cent increase in paramedics. Overall, the number of employees under HSAS increased by almost 20 per cent in the same time period.
Meantime, the union continues to state that the chronic under-staffing of health care professionals "is risking the safety of many Saskatchewan patients, and forcing many others to wait unacceptable lengths of time to access needed health care services. That's why we are standing firm for improved staffing and for the competitive wages and benefits that will help recruit and retain our specialized health care professionals," said Cathy Dickson, president of the Health Sciences union.
The HSAS represents health care professionals in more than 30 health care professions, including emergency care workers, acute care workers like hospital pharmacists and respiratory therapists, rehabilitation professionals like physical therapists and speech-language pathologists, and community-based professionals like public health inspectors, psychologists and social workers.
