A rainy day did not stop SEIU-West members from holding an information picket in Kindersley on Tuesday.
According to a union spokesperson, the hour long picket in front of the Kindersley and District Health Centre was to highlight their struggles with the current round of bargaining, and the action was supported by a group of local healthcare workers including the ones pictured above.
Jeanne Javinal, member of the Bargaining Committee and Executive board member for SEIU-West, provided the following comments in the midst of the picket.
"Today we are here to support our bargaining team. We want a fair contract, our Collective Bargaining Agreement with the SAHO (Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations) expired more than two years ago. We served notice to bargain in January of 2023, but the employer didn't meet with us until October of 2023. We demand our members to be respected, and protected while at work and adequately compensated for the vital work they do, providing care for the people of Saskatchewan." said Javinal.
"Healthcare workers need a raise and not another one that amounts to pocket change."
Javinal continued by saying the union knows they are "the best value of the tax dollars that people pay" when it comes to healthcare services, asking in return for various improvements to working conditions and equitable compensation so that members can maintain their careers in their home communities, reaffirming the demand to be protected, respected and be paid appropriately.
"We are taking care of the people of Saskatchewan who will take care of us, who will protect us."
The union ultimately hopes that events like the one in Kindersley can help educate the public about their issues and the state of the healthcare system.