“Patient care is vital and no one understands that better than us,” said Trent Edwards, Co-Chair of the Negotiating Committee.” “Negotiations with the Cancer Agency itself have been positive but unfortunately, the Saskatchewan Party Government’s imposed wage mandate of 1½ - 2 - 2 per cent over three years has stopped us from reaching an agreement,” said Edwards.
“The SCA is already struggling to replace and retain skilled professionals,” said Bob Bymoen, SGEU President. “Our frustration is not with the Cancer Agency; it’s with Premier Brad Wall who publicly refuses to consider the option of binding arbitration (using a mutually agreed upon arbitrator), when it’s clearly supported by the International Labour Organization,” said Bymoen.
Some of the highly-skilled and highly-trained workers at the SCA include:
Clinical Research Associates, Dosimetrists, Mammography Techs,
Medical Radiation Therapists, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Techs, Registered Nurses, Support Staff, and System Analysts
They are paid significantly less than similarly qualified workers in other Saskatchewan health regions.
Please note that this strike vote will not create any immediate change in patient care.
Visit SGEU’s new SCA website at www.sgeusca.ca for bargaining updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment