Jason Monteith, Vice President of the Service Employees International Union-West in Saskatchewan, Canada, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss healthcare worker shortages, the rise of privatization and stalled contract negotiations, which affect both frontline workers and patients. SEIU West represents nearly 15,000 workers across healthcare, community-based organizations, education, and the private sector in the province of Saskatchewan. SEIU-West is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.
Monteith began by discussing the decline in the number of healthcare workers in the province. He said healthcare careers once attracted an abundance of applicants, but today’s working conditions, stagnant wages and heavy workloads discourage some recruits. Many leave the field early or don’t enter it at all, citing costly training requirements, lack of competitive compensation and growing safety concerns. Monteith explained that the lack of support and resources has left remaining workers “at a breaking point,” fighting burnout as patient-to-staff ratios worsen and the system struggles to recruit.
Next, Monteith explained the shifting landscape of Saskatchewan’s healthcare industry. He said the province’s public healthcare system is being eroded as resources dwindle and for-profit companies move in. Monteith said the drift toward privatization pulls skilled workers away from the public sector, further intensifying staffing shortages. He said that as more private entities take root, both care quality and equitable access are jeopardized, leaving residents waiting longer for services and compounding the pressure on public facilities.
Finally, Monteith discussed the breakdown of contract negotiations between the government and three major unions representing more than 30,000 healthcare workers. These workers have been without a contract since March 2023, with the last wage increase in March 2022, he said. According to Monteith, the delay in reaching a new agreement and the lack of decisive government response are key drivers of worker frustration and attrition. He added that SEIU West and its allies are intensifying their efforts—pushing for improved conditions, fair compensation and a recommitment to the principles of public healthcare, recognizing that the battle affects not only workers but the entire province.
For more from Monteith, listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast above.
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