Frontline health care workers gathered at the Saskatchewan Legislature today to highlight new research showing that Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) in Saskatchewan are among the lowest paid in the country, intensifying concerns about staffing shortages and the stability of the province’s health system.
Members of CUPE 5430’s Continuing Care Assistant Committee travelled from communities across Saskatchewan to present findings that show CCAs in the province earn approximately $3 per hour less than the national average.
CUPE health care workers have not received a wage increase in more than four years, which deepens the already critical retention crisis, as health care workers leave the health system for better-paying opportunities elsewhere.
The group attended question period at the Legislature, where the issue of CCA wages and workforce retention was raised. Following proceedings, frontline workers spoke with media about their experiences on the frontlines.
“Investing in workers is investing in patient care,” said Helen Head, CUPE 5430 Region 3 General Vice-President. “If we want a strong, reliable health care system, we need to start by valuing and adequately compensating the people who deliver that care every day.”
CUPE 5430 is Saskatchewan’s largest health care union representing 14,000 health care providers and 4,400 Continuing Care Assistants in the province.
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