CUPE health care workers have voted 99 per cent in favour of job action.

The union says it is Saskatchewan’s largest strike vote after 13, 358 members cast their ballots between September 8th and 14th.

CUPE 5430’s 14,000 health care workers have been without a contract since March 31st, 2023.

In a news release, President of CUPE 5430, Bashir Jalloh said, “These incredible strike vote results send that minister and his government a message that our members are done waiting, are united, and ready to fight for a fair contract.”

The union says its members have gone over four-and-a-half years without a wage increase.

As well it says the latest employer offer from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) Includes concessionary demands that would increase contract staffing and move health care workers farther from their homes with little notice or consideration for work/life balance. They also suggest it would leave most CUPE members making less than their counterparts in Western Canada.

And while the cost of living in Saskatchewan is estimated to have increase 33.7 per cent between 2012 and 2025, the current offer doesn’t catch CUPE members up in terms of wage erosion and cost of living.