Saskatchewan’s resident doctors overwhelmingly reject contract offer

Resident doctors in Saskatchewan overwhelmingly voted no on Thursday to the provincial government’s latest contract offer.

The two sides have been without a contract for nearly two years, and this latest offer was rejected by 95 percent of members of the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Saskatchewan.

The union calls the offer inadequate, claiming the government would have profited from stalling negotiations because it did not include retroactive pay, and wouldn’t put residents pay here on par with Alberta and Manitoba.

“What doctor is going to stay in or come to Saskatchewan if there are more attractive offers from our neighbouring provinces?” said PAIRS President Dr. Marilyn Kinloch in a release. “This doesn’t just affect resident physicians, this affects Saskatchewan healthcare.”

The association says less than half of Saskatchewan’s medical students seek residency in our province, choosing to travel to better paying jurisdictions.