By Samantha Maciag

HSAS, SAHO back to the bargaining table

Apr 27, 2011 | 6:57 AM

The Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) is going over a revised package submitted Tuesday by the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS), a union representing thousands of health care workers.

It's been a few weeks away since the two groups met over contract talks. Tuesday morning, the Health Sciences struck first prior to planned meeting at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina, calling a media conference to address staffing and recruitment problems.

President Cathy Dickson says they want to point out the fact that they're having trouble recruiting a number of positions, especially respiratory therapists.

“They're not going to come to Saskatchewan when they can go to Alberta and other places and make 25 or more per cent in wages in benefits than they can in Saskatchewan,” she said.

Dickson also outlined a number of instances in the past where staffing levels have put patient safety at risk.

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But Susan Antosh with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations says there's some issues with that.

“Determining the local staffing, or a policy around staffing, is not something that is part of the collective bargaining process,” she said.

At the time she spoke with News Talk Radio, Antosh hadn't completely gone over the package, but what she did see didn't sound promising.

“I would say we're still fairly far apart on the wage component. I haven't had a chance to look through everything that's there, but what I've seen so far would not suggest to me that the deal is imminent.”

SAHO has offered the union a 7.5 per cent wage increase over four years, with guaranteed health and dental benefits.

The union wants something more like Alberta, which pays the highest in the country.

“In reality, we are second in Western Canada. So yes, we are behind Alberta, but we are second out of the four western Canadian provinces,” Antosh said.

SAHO is expected to respond to the union by Wednesday, when more bargaining is also scheduled.

HSAS represents about 30 medical professions, with the exception of nurses, doctors and technicians. They've been without a contract for two years.

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