Health-care workers reach tentative collective agreement with province

The union representing 11,500 health-care workers in Saskatchewan has reached a tentative agreement with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO).

In a release Friday, the provincial government said the agreement between SAHO and the Service Employees’ International Union West (SEIU-West) is the fourth achieved by unions which, aside from affiliate organizations, are all now operating within a single provincial health authority.

Details of the agreement will be shared pending ratification by the SEIU-West members and SAHO.

On the SEIU-West web page, president Barbara Cape says the union had been working without a contract for more than 1,300 days.

“Our members have been working hard, without fail or falter, without a new collective agreement since March 31, 2017,” Cape added. “They will get to review the terms of the tentative agreement, ask questions, and they will get to express their opinion through their vote.”

In the release, Health Minister Paul Merriman said: “SEIU-West members are highly valued members of our health care teams and are relied on by Saskatchewan residents and I would like to thank them for their dedication.”