By Samantha Maciag

Fewer health care workers allowed to strike as essential services list grows

May 18, 2011 | 7:06 AM

A week in, the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) rotating strike continued Tuesday in Regina outside of the Saskatchewan Legislature, even though fewer and fewer workers are being allowed to picket.

The essential services list seems to grow each day as the government classifies more jobs as essential.

HSAS President Cathy Dickson takes issue with that.

“People that were deemed essential are the ones that are still needing training, so there has not been any rhyme or reason to how they've taken people out,” she said.

Dickson said only 120 people were picketing Tuesday, even though they could have chosen to have many more walk off of the job.

International Spotlight

P.A.'s Howe one of 4 Sask. born players named to Canada's World Junior roster

3h ago

National

Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds

6h ago

Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

10h ago

Labour Relations Minister Don Morgan says they would never escalate that to make everyone essential — the goal is just to ensure public safety. Dickson says they have no problem with increasing the number of essential jobs if the government would agree to binding arbitration so that workers could get a contract settled.

Dickson claiming most other Canadian jurisdictions use arbitration, but that's something Morgan disputes.

“Binding arbitration exists only in Alberta, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Virtually all of the other jurisdictions have got a limited right to strike as we do in Saskatchewan,” he said.

Both Premier Brad Wall and Health Minister Don McMorris have stated that binding arbitration is out of the question and say that the best deal will be found at the bargaining table.

HSAS has indicated that strike action will continue in the Queen City again on Wednesday, but to what extent has not been revealed.

news@panow.com