By Katie Ryan 

Vickie Angell-Scheler drove from North Battleford –  where she has been working as a recreation health care worker for the past 30 years – so that she could give her support to Brian Manegre.

Manegre is the CUPE Local 5111 president for the region and with a strong show of support from a number of health care workers like Angell-Scheler, he addressed the Prairie North Health Region Board yesterday at the Lloydminster Hospital.

Unions representing 25,000 health care workers and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations appear to be at a stalemate when it comes to reaching a new contract.

“I understand that the only place we can bargain is at the bargaining table,” said Manegre, who asked the health region board for its assistance to conclude a fair settlement with SAHO. 

“The reason I am here today is that SAHO refuses to bargain with us, they refuse to return to the table.”

For two years Saskatchewan health care providers have been without a collective agreement and have not received a pay increase in three years. In January the government instructed SAHO to end conciliation talks and presented a final offer that includes concessions made in June that would require health care providers to work at multiple sites.

“Nobody is happy about this package,” said Manegre, adding members voted 88 per cent in favour of a strike vote to reject the concessions in June.

“We want to know how these proposals would attract new people to the health care sector when they are driving existing health care workers away. Clearly we need to see a change in SAHO's arrogant attitude. Bullying health care providers won't solve staff shortages or improve patient care.”

According to SAHO president and CEO, Susan Antosh, continuing conciliation wasn't productive because the gap between the expectation of the unions and the objectives of SAHO were too wide.

“We have concluded that the parties are too far apart with no prospect of settlement,” she said in an earlier statement. “It is in the best interests of everyone to conclude an agreement without further delay.”

Manegre, who represents 2,100 health care providers in PNHR, said CUPE is willing to clean the slate with SAHO and start from scratch.

“It has not been a normal negotiation process. I know negotiations are not always easy and they are not always friendly, but CUPE has offered to withdraw everything that's left at the CUPE table on the basis that SAHO do the same in order to achieve a collective agreement to get this process over with,” he said. “The last thing we want is to have to take any form of job action – you have to be aware of that – the members out there are very upset.”

While collective bargaining is done at the provincial level, not at the regional level, PNHR CEO David Fan said board members are sympathetic and will review the document presented by Manegre.

 “I think the board has listened to the plea to move the bargaining process forward and also at the same time shares in their frustration that the negotiation process is not progressing as quickly as they wanted, as well as we do,” he said. “The potential of a strike is never a good thing, not for us – not for the patient most of all – not for the membership either. I think it is to the benefit of all parties concerned that the negotiation process gets back on track and hopefully arrives at a contract that is satisfactory to everybody.”

Fan said the board will discuss CUPE's “plea” and determine what kind of message PNHR will pass back to the provincial table. 

As a seasoned health care provider, Angell-Scheler has seen her share of contract negotiations but says the current negotiations, or lack thereof, are causing strife in the workplace.

 “We've had essential service discussions before when we have had to bargain for a collective agreement and we've never had a problem,” she said, adding members are frustrated waiting two years for a new contract.  

“We realize that they are trying to bully us and it is not going over well. People are upset and we have poor morale in our facilities. It's not good for patient care and ultimately patient care will suffer because of it. I don't really think that is what the Saskatchewan Party wants but that is what they are doing and that is what is happening in the work place.

“It's a political thing and it's not good for Saskatchewan in my opinion.”