The parties met at the SAHO office in Regina July 8 and 9, 2025.

CUPE and SAHO collaborated to develop a Land Acknowledgement as part of our joint commitment to embrace and address the Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action. This work was a follow up from the joint meeting on June 12th between the provider Union and SAHO bargaining committees.

The parties continued negotiations and exchanged proposals on multiple topics. While these discussions were quite productive in some areas there remains very little progress on moving these negotiations to a common table to resolve the provider collective agreements.   

From the outset of collective bargaining, the three provider unions have stressed that common table proposals require agreement from all three provider unions before it is considered common. Using these criteria as a guide, SAHO asked the unions to provide a list of items that they consider suitable for the common table.  After reviewing the submitted lists, SAHO identified significant variances and omissions based on the approved criteria. As a result, the lists, in their current form, are not helpful to move these negotiations forward. SAHO has urged CUPE to discuss this with the other two provider unions in hopes that they will find agreement and that these negotiations can move forward. 

It has been clear from the onset of collective bargaining that all three provider unions – CUPE, SGEU, and SEIU-West - need to negotiate certain issues at a common table, given the amalgamation of the former regional health authorities into a single provincial health authority. 

SAHO’s proposals for common table negotiation would give employees the opportunity to maximize hours and create meaningful employment, which may include working in a neighboring union jurisdiction. Importantly, SAHO’s proposals to increase options for employee mobility, including hours of work, do not interfere with union jurisdiction or membership. The integrity of the three provider unions would be maintained. These proposals would ensure that all employees in the 300 plus common classifications, working for the same employer, would maintain internal equity and benefit equally in the opportunities that come with a new single provincial health employer. Employees would have options to exercise their seniority across the province, while maintaining benefits and accruals. These are real benefits for employees that, at the same time, improve access for patients, residents and clients.  

While SAHO is concerned about the length of time these negotiations are taking, recognizing the operation of the Saskatchewan Health Authority as the unified provincial employer – by having CUPE and the other two provider unions come to a common table - is critically important in this round of bargaining. 

Union/CUPE July 21, 2025