The parties met in Regina on June 10, 11, 12, 2025. With the agreement of SGEU and as part of SAHO’s 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. We appreciate the generosity of SGEU in providing some of their scheduled meeting time for this important session.   

The remaining days saw the parties continue negotiations and exchange proposals on multiple topics. While these discussions were quite productive there remains 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. However, 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 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. These are real benefits for employees and, at the same time, improve access for patients, residents and clients.  

To help bring SGEU 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 SGEU and CUPE and we received a list from SEIU-West on June 27, 2025. These lists will assist the parties in moving negotiations forward to common table discussions.

SGEU, 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. The amalgamation of the former regions into a provincial health authority impacts all three unions and is best addressed collaboratively and 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 SGEU and the other two provider unions come to a common table - is critically important in this round of bargaining. This remains something SGEU and the other two provider unions are unwilling to fully acknowledge.

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

SAHO and SGEU are scheduled to continue negotiations on July 15, 16, and 17th in Prince Albert.

Union/SGEU July 09, 2025