Negotiations between the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) and the Saskatchewan Organization of Health Organizations (SAHO) have hit a snag over the issue of the shortage of nurses in the province, with talks scheduled to resume on Feb. 2.
The province's 8,400 nurses, including about 160 nurses in the South Central Health District, voted 74 per cent in favour of taking strike action if no contract is in place by March 31, when they will be in a legal strike position.
Negotiations began on Jan. 5, but SUN president Rosalee Longmoore said there has been nothing proposed which would alleviate the shortage of nursing in the province.
"SAHO negotiators told us this week that they have no plan to deal with the nursing shortage, and can't even discuss the issue now. If SAHO has no plan or proposals to solve the nursing shortage, they'd better get somebody at this bargaining table who does," said Longmoore on Thursday. "Health districts, SAHO and the government are heading for a crisis and they all say it's each other's problem."
Some of the proposals that SAHO has put forward could have an adverse effect on both nurses and patient care, said Longmoore.
SAHO is proposing to reduce payments for nurses who work standby on night shifts, reduce the northern allowance, restrict payment of shift and weekend premiums, and a reduced leave for nurses who have a serious illness in the family. A proposal that absent nursing supervisors not be replaced and a proposal to float nurses to different agencies or to other health districts would have an adverse effect on patient care, said the union president.
At the time of the strike vote, taken in early December, Nancy Styles, president of the Weyburn local, said a contributing factor to the shortage of nurses are new regulations by the licensing body, long hours and personal sacrifices made by nurses for patients. She also indicated the Weyburn members of SUN voted slightly higher than the provincial total in favour of taking strike action.
The union includes those nurses formerly under CUPE and SGEU, with member nurses working at the Weyburn Special Care Home, Weyburn General Hospital, Souris Valley Extended Care Centre, and in public health, mental health, home care and community care.
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