Yorkton health care workers return to work

Striking health care workers in the Sunrise Health Region are returning to work on Friday.

Around 60 members of the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) have been off the job in Yorkton and Melville for the past two days

HSAS says no further job action will be taken on Friday and is not saying when or where further job action will take place.

The walk out in Yorkton was the latest in a series of rotating strikes across the province. Health care workers have walked off the job in Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Swift Current and Regina since job action started on May 9.

HSAS has said the only way to avoid further strike action, including the possibility of a province-wide strike, is to send their contract dispute with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) to binding arbitration.

Both SAHO and the provincial government have rejected binding arbitration.

HSAS and SAHO have not met since talks broke down just over two weeks ago in Saskatoon. No new talks are scheduled.

HSAS is seeking a wage increase of 18.5 per cent over three years. The last offer from SAHO was 7.5 per cent over the same period with a market adjustment for EMS workers.

HSAS represents approximately 3,000 health care workers in Saskatchewan. They have been without a contract for over two years.