The Editor:
I was reading the Leader-Post on April 13, 2012 about how SAHO came to the bargaining table with SGEU Cancer Agency Nurses and gave them a final offer of a 5.5 per cent increase over 39 months.
Then I was listening to the news on the same day saying the premier and MLAs got a 2.8 per cent raise due to cost-of-living.
Something does not make sense in my mind.
SGEU Cancer Agency Nurses get offered 5.5 per cent minus the 2.8 per cent the Saskatchewan legislative assembly cost-of-living raise equals 2.7 per cent for SGEU Cancer Agency Nurses Raise over 39 months.
That is how I see this equation equalling. I, myself think if the Members of the Legislative Assembly get a cost-of-living raise all residents of Saskatchewan should get it.
Well, I wrote an e-mail to Premier Wall. It took three e-mails and I got an e-mail back from Premier Brad Wall. He explained the Members of Saskatchewan legislative assembly received an automatic, inflation-adjusted pay raise of 2.8 per cent this year.
The increase is remuneration for base salaries and extra duties is based on a cost-of-living formula tied to inflation. Do we all not feel this inflation? Premier Brad Wall was in Estevan this month telling us how Saskatchewan is prospering.
I will tell a short story. Our little school in Bienfait used to have Toast on Tuesdays. Now we have breakfast everyday as some children would not have any if they did not receive some at school. Prospering is the key word as rent is around $2,000 for a three bedroom house. Gasoline to drive to work is $1.26 per litre, a can of coffee is $18 or $19, power bills keep increasing, SaskTel keeps going up, the price of bread has almost tripled in the last year, hamburger last year was on sale for $1.50 per pound now it's on sale for $2.99 per pound.
I could type all night so I will stop there; you get the point. The point is if your legislative assembly needs a raise, so does each resident of Saskatchewan. I am a member of CUPE 5999. Remember Premier Brad Wall and SAHO, we are also out of a contract, and Premier Wall you wrote in my letter, how are you going to cover this one up?
Well, people of Saskatchewan how do you like what you voted in this time? They did not get my vote and will never get it back. By the way Premier Brad Wall, do not spend your $4,500 raise this year all in one place. Thank you everyone who reads this letter, it's your turn to stand up and be counted.
Sandy Hedstrom
Bienfait, Sask.
