By Katie Ryan
“Show us publicly that you value them,” Brian Manegre CUPE Local 5111 president said to the Prairie North Regional Health Authority board members who gathered for their annual meeting.
For the fourth consecutive time Manegre addressed the board on Wednesday, representing CUPE health care workers who have been without a contract for almost two years. Prior to his presentation and the board meeting, CUPE members rallied outside of Lloydminster Hospital – many on their lunch break – to raise awareness and protest the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organization's “unwillingness” to negotiate a fair contract.
Manegre said while there has been “minimal movement” in the two year contract stalemate, referring to the changes to the hours of work for home care workers, SAHO's offer is still “second class.”
“They have made no moves on the parity items that are out there, the shift premiums, the weekend premiums and licensing issues. There are still a number of contentious issues,” he said. “We are doing our best to minimize the impact to the province because we heard the budget and we've heard what Brad Wall and cabinet have said, but by the same token we don't believe it should be a two tiered health care system.”
Manegre called for the health region – the third largest in Saskatchewan – to take a public stand in support of health care workers.
“They do have contact and they do have a say,” he said. “I think a public statement, that they are in favour of being fair to their workers would go a long way and they have yet to make it. They stand behind 'we can't do anything or say anything because that would be bargaining.' That doesn't make anybody happy. You can't keep hiding.”
The health region's CEO David Fan said that while the board empathizes with the 2,000 health care providers who work in the PNHR, the board will not issue a public statement.
“The board finds it very difficult to engage in bargaining and that's why whatever we say can be used against us and can jeopardize the position of the employers at the bargaining table. That's why we need to be very careful,” he said, adding bargaining cannot happen at the board table.
“I understand the frustrations on the part of the workers, I understand the frustrations on the part of management as well because this kind of uncertainty is not good for us. Two years down the line we still don't have a contract.”
Following Manegre's presentation, PNRHA chairperson Bonnie O'Grady reiterated that health care workers are highly valued by the board, encouraging members to vote on SAHO's offer. Manegre was quick to interject though and said the membership has always voted on a “memorandum of agreement.”
“This is not a memorandum of agreement. In order to hold an informed vote I need to talk to every member in this region ... because until you understand what's in this collective agreement SAHO is pushing at us, you have no idea,” said Manegre to board members. “You encourage people to go out and vote on something they don't have a clue about – you don't even have a clue about. You are reading what SAHO puts on the table and what their pamphlets are. You say you value your workers, I don't see it and neither do they.”
In Lloydminster there are approximately 500 CUPE health care workers.