Sarah Mills: There are always things for which we should be grateful
Sarah Mills says that even in tough times, we all have things we should be grateful for over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Frontline health-care workers are sounding the alarm over what they describe as unsafe staffing levels and worsening working conditions across Saskatchewan.
A new research report from CUPE 5430, titled Checking the Pulse of CCAs, surveyed 1,290 continuing care assistants (CCAs) across the province.
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The results paint a stark picture of a workforce under immense pressure, with 76 per cent of respondents stating they do not have safe staffing levels in their workplaces.
The union’s findings reveal that heavy workloads are directly impacting patient care. According to the report, 74 per cent of surveyed CCAs feel they do not have enough time to provide adequate care to their patients. The issue is also hitting community care sectors hard, with 68 per cent of home care workers reporting they are not given enough time to travel between clients.
The stress of the job has led to a major crisis in morale. The survey notes that 73 per cent of current CCAs say they would not recommend a career in the field to friends or family members.
Union leaders emphasize that these systemic issues affect everyone in the province who interacts with the health-care network.
“These findings should concern every person in Saskatchewan that relies on our health-care system. Whether that is accessing health centres and hospitals, utilizing home care services, or having a loved one in long-term care, CCAs do it all,” said Laura Guilbault, Chair of CUPE 5430’s CCA committee in a news release on Oct. 9.
“We are the backbone of Saskatchewan’s health system but we’re not being treated like it.”
Beyond working conditions, the union is pointing to stagnant wages as a primary hurdle to retaining staff.
Health-care workers represented by the group have been without a collective agreement or a raise for a significant period.
“Our members have not had a wage increase in 4.5 years, and our CCA members make significantly less than their counterparts across Canada,” said Bashir Jalloh, President of CUPE 5430.
“If this government doesn’t address these issues, they will continue to lose hardworking CCAs who run our health system day in day out.”
To address the ongoing short-staffing and low morale, the CCA committee is calling for immediate contract negotiations and a bump in wages.
Additionally, the union is recommending that the Saskatchewan Health Authority take immediate steps to restructure certain community and institutional roles.
Among the recommendations is a call to return CCAs to acute health-care settings. The union argues this move would alleviate pressure on licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs), allowing them to focus on specialized medical care while improving response times for patients’ daily personal needs.
The report also calls for a standardized review of provincial job descriptions and an overhaul of home-care scheduling to account for necessary travel times.
CUPE 5430 represents more than 14,000 health-care workers across Saskatchewan, including continuing care assistants, dietary staff, housekeeping, and clerical personnel.
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