Reps from 6 major Sask. unions call on government to restrict gatherings and travel

Union leaders representing tens of thousands of Saskatchewan's frontline workers want the provincial government to limit gathering sizes and restrict travel. They held a virtual news conference on Thursday to make a joint call to action. 

"There are concrete ways for us to really slow, if not stop, the spread of this Omicron variant and I think if we have those tools at our access, then we should be using it," said Barbara Cape, president of Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West), which represents workers in schools, health care and other industries.

"If I was to canvass any one of our members, I think if the premier and government of Saskatchewan choose not to implement stronger public health orders, they're going to see that this has become a political football as opposed to a public health crisis."

Leaders of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL), Saskatchewan Union of Nurses, Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union, and Service Employees International Union West all participated in the call. 

Together they represent 113,000 workers. They called for the province to limit gathering sizes to 10 people, limit the frequency of gatherings, limit non-school and non-work contacts, and restrict non-essential travel. The unions said slowing the spread of Omicron will help frontline workers sustain services during the fifth wave.

In a statement released Thursday, Premier Scott Moe said, "we see no clear evidence that lockdown measures have reduced hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths in other provinces and as a result, there is no reason to impose harmful new restrictions in Saskatchewan."

Several doctors have criticized and countered Moe's repeated claims that restrictions have no benefit. The union reps said Thursday that simply slowing down the virus would benefit people. 

SFL president Lori Johb said union members across the province are operating in "crisis mode" as resources dwindle while demand on their services grows. Johb warned that continued uncontrolled spread will lead to service disruptions. 

"Morale is low. They cannot continue on," said Tracy Zambory, president of Saskatchewan Union of Nurses.  

Zambory said health care is already being compromised as rural facilities are closed and emergency rooms are filled "to the rafters." 

"We have neither the space nor the staff to continue at this pace."

The union leaders said public sector workplaces — be it health care or education — were already understaffed before the pandemic, and that employees are challenged further now as they try to navigate pandemic-driven illness, family care, colleagues' resignations and burnout.

"We have members who are working 16 to 20 hours in a day, sleeping for a couple of hours and coming back to do it all over again," said SEIU-West president Cape. "When you look at their ability to provide bedside care or to manage the cleanliness or the dietary needs or the provision of medications to residents — mistakes are going to be made."

Cape said there is often no staff available to be called in for help.