SAHO and CUPE met May 27, 28 and 29, 2025 in Regina. Discussions between the parties remained productive with agreement reached on some issues, but with very little progress on SAHO’s key priorities.

From the outset of negotiations in the fall of 2023, SAHO has been clear that all three provider unions – CUPE, SGEU, and SEIU-West - need to negotiate certain issues at a common table, now that the 12 former regional health authorities have been amalgamated 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.

These proposals would ensure that all employees in the 300 plus common classifications, working for the same employer, would maintain internal equity and would 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.

SAHO’s proposals to increase options for employee mobility do not interfere with union jurisdiction or membership. The integrity of the three provider unions would be maintained.

SAHO’s proposals ensure employees would see real benefits, while at the same time, improving access to care for patients, residents and clients.

To help bring CUPE and the other two provider unions to a common table, SAHO has asked the unions to provide a list of items that would be considered suitable for the common table. A list has been provided by CUPE and SGEU and we hope to receive a list from SEIU-West soon.

SAHO recognizes while negotiations are underway, this economic pressure for employees remains. To help address this, SAHO offered a 3% wage adjustment, retroactive to April 1, 2023, which would have provided employees with retroactive payments up to as much as $5,500 as well as an interim wage increase. This offer, worth $90 million, remains on the table – but would require CUPE and the other two provider unions to commit to timely resolution of their individual union issues and move to a common table. To date, CUPE and the other provider unions have refused to do so.

CUPE, along with the other two provider unions, have a long history of common table negotiations on wages and other monetary and non-monetary issues. Numerous letters of understanding, as well as joint market supplement and job evaluation programs, are examples of past successes achieved at a common table.

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. This remains something CUPE and the other two provider unions are unwilling to fully acknowledge.

SAHO and CUPE are scheduled to continue negotiations on July 8, 9, and 10h in Regina. Prior to that, and as part of our collaborative efforts to embrace and address the Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action, a joint gathering of the CUPE, SEIU-West, SGEU and SAHO Bargaining Committees took place on June 12th in Regina with former Chief Cadmus Delorme.

Union/CUPE June 26, 2025