Health care workers from CUPE 5430 gathered outside the office of the Minister of Health in North Battleford today, holding a rally and press conference to raise urgent concerns about their working conditions.

Chanting for respect and fair treatment, frontline workers demanded immediate action on staffing shortages, burnout, and the need for a long-overdue wage increase. Spokespeople for frontline health care workers highlighted the impact of working short-staffed for years, noting that patient care and worker safety continue to suffer.

“We are here today to send a message to the Minister of Health that right here, in his backyard, workers are suffering,” said CUPE 5430 President Bashir Jalloh. “Low wages and poor working conditions are forcing may health care workers to leave the profession and the province. We are drowning and clients, residents and patients are paying the price.”

CUPE 5430 is calling on the provincial government to return to the bargaining table with a fair offer that acknowledges the vital work health care workers do every day.

“Health care in Saskatchewan is broken. Services are being disrupted every day because there simply aren’t enough staff to do the work safely.” said Cindy Landrie, an LPN from the Battlefords area. “What do we want? We want fair wages. We want safe working conditions. We want respect. We want to be valued.”

Brittany Rae, a Continuing Care Assistant working in the Battlefords area added: “our wages are simply not keeping up. And what happens when wages don’t keep up? Workers leave. And when workers leave, services crumble. The staffing shortages that we are seeing today are some of the worst I have seen. Every shift feels like a marathon. Running from patient to patient, trying to do the job of 2-3 people. It is not safe for us. And it is not sustainable.”

/n.m.cope342