HEALTH PROVIDERS
AMALGAMATION OF HEALTH REGIONS
SGEU Health Providers are working to minimize disruption to patients and frontline workers.
On January 4, 2017, the Government of Saskatchewan announced its plans to consolidate the current 12 Regional Health Authorities into one single health region by the fall of this year.
We know there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the potential impact of restructuring, and that it may be causing stress for you and your families. As your union representatives, we want to reassure you that we will do our best to keep you informed. We at SGEU will continue to advocate for quality public health care, on your behalf, to ensure that the current level of services you provide will continue, without disruption, throughout this process of restructuring. We have advocated, and will continue to advocate, for maintaining health care jobs and services across the province, including in rural and northern areas. Our priority is to ensure that you, as frontline workers, and the high quality care you provide, won’t be adversely affected.
In previous rounds of health care amalgamation and reorganization in Saskatchewan, many health care workers were forced to change unions. To prevent a repeat of this, SGEU and Saskatchewan’s other health care unions have committed to work together to ensure health workers’ existing union membership is maintained. We are committed to working with other unions, and with the provincial government, to ensure that a stable and predictable labour relations environment is maintained and respected during the restructuring of the health care system.
Your collective agreement remains the same. As we receive more information we will keep you informed. Browse through the updates and timeline below to read about amalgamation so far.
ASK YOUR TEAM A QUESTION
March 29, 2017
The legislation to amalgamate the province’s 12 health regions into one Provincial Health Authority has been introduced. The Act does not address the issue of whether workers’ union representation will be affected by the amalgamation, the impact of restructuring on health providers and patients isn't clear, and SGEU is working with other health unions to provide stability. Health restructuring could affect SGEU members in the Kelsey Trail, Mamawetan Churchill River, and Keewatin Yatthé Health Regions, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, and eHealth Saskatchewan.
March 28, 2017
The big three health provider unions have called for a bargaining council to promote workplace stability during the amalgamation process. This council will mitigate the impacts on patient, client and resident care while government transitions to one provincial health authority. This proposal calls for a formal bargaining council structure to help stabilize labour relations and negotiate with the new authority.
September 12, 2016
SGEU Health Providers want to avoid representational changes, foster cooperation between parties to make such changes unnecessary, and warns about the pitfalls of privatization. In this submission to the government-appointed advisory panel, SGEU Health Providers also discuss how changes in service and staffing levels in the north would affect patients and workers.
September 09, 2016
A statement of solidarity between unions working in health care and principles we would like to see followed during amalgamation.