In the mid-1940s, Saskatchewan guided Canadian governments by allowing public servants to bargain collectively. This innovation policy was born out of the economic crisis of the 1930s. After the Saskatchewan government entered into successful collective agreements with public sector employees in the province in the 1950s and 1960s, demonstrating that negotiations could work in the public sector, other provinces and the federal government eventually followed suit. Now Saskatchewan is going through a new labour relations crisis. If the province remains true to its pioneering spirit, this crisis could lead to 21st century political innovations that will eventually be repeated elsewhere in Canada. The Public Sector Negotiation Crisis in Saskatchewan The new agreement provides for wage increases of zero per cent, zero per cent, one per cent, two per cent (pension combination and general wage increase), two per cent and two per cent over a six-year period. It will run from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2022. “We are pleased that a majority of the members voted in favour of this interim agreement,” said Lori Bossaer, Chair of the GSP Negotiating Committee. READ MORE: The previous SGEU strike cost Sask. Millions of Government: A 2007 Retrospective The adversarial relationship inherent in this form of bargaining does not reflect the cooperative giving and taking that characterizes Saskatchewan`s largest community, yet it is the standard approach to collective bargaining between the union and management in Saskatchewan. In fact, negotiators generally believe that there is no other way to negotiate.
Of course, that`s not true. There are different ways to negotiate a collective agreement. However, such approaches require a high degree of trust and communication between the parties. Both parties must accept that the other side has valid problems that must be resolved at the negotiating table. Management must accept the union`s representation role. The union must accept that management has responsibilities. Negotiations must focus on problem-solving. Conflicts can occur, but only after the problem has failed. This approach to trading is not common in Canada, but it is increasingly common elsewhere, for example in the petrochemical industry in the United States.
If there is no preliminary agreement, each party can apply for assistance from the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board. Over the past two years, Saskatchewan has been hit by a seemingly endless series of public sector labour disputes. In 1999, it experienced the most serious health conflict in the public service since the 1962 doctors` strike. This strike by the Saskatchewan Nurses Union was preceded by a legal termination of a work stoppage at SaskPower. The result was a work stoppage by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) against the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO). A subsequent agreement between SAHO and the Service Employees International Union was reached only after a simple withdrawal and a threat of withdrawal.