HSAS escalates strike action in Saskatoon Monday

Approximately 400 specialized health care professionals in the Saskatoon Health Region will be on strike starting at 8:00 a.m. Monday.

This marks the second straight work day for strike action in Saskatoon. The number of health care workers on strike has increased from 300 to 400 professionals.

Cathy Dickson, Health Sciences Association President, says “strike action will continue to escalate as long as SAHO and the Wall government refuse to return to the bargaining table to negotiate in good faith or until they agree to send our contract dispute to independent, interest-based, binding arbitration.”

“”For more than a month, the Wall government and SAHO refused to accept our request for independent, binding arbitration, claiming they wanted to see a new contract negotiated at the bargaining table. However, once we returned to the bargaining table, SAHO slapped down what it now says is a non-negotiable “˜final offer’, and promptly ran from the bargaining table to avoid any discussion at all,” said Dickson.

The last set of negotiations between HSAS and SAHO broke down Thursday afternoon.

Picket lines will be set up at four Saskatoon locations: Saskatoon City Hospital, Royal University Hospital and the constituency offices of two Wall government cabinet ministers.