PROVINCE PARTNERS WITH HEALTH DISTRICT AND UNIONS

The province today partnered with another employer ensuring more Aboriginal people participate in Saskatchewan's economy.

The Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA), the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) signed the province's Aboriginal Employment Development Program (AEDP) partnership agreement.

"The provincial government is creating successful partnerships with people who share our goal of the full and equal participation of Aboriginal people in the province – socially and economically," Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eldon Lautermilch said. "Since the first AEDP partnership agreement was signed in 1995, more than 1,600 qualified Aboriginal people have found employment and 4,000 employees of AEDP partners have received cultural awareness training."

"The Sun Country Regional Health Authority is proud to employ workers from many different ethnic backgrounds and cultural groups," SCRHA, Chairman, Earl Kickley said. "Our employment of Aboriginal workers adds to this diversity and is important to our commitment to serve the Aboriginal population."

"These partnership agreements allow us to work together and develop innovative processes as we move forward in achieving our goal of a representative workforce," SAHO, Board Chair, Alex Taylor said.

"SUN is honoured to be a partner in this agreement," SUN, President Rosalee Longmoore said. "We believe it is important to have a workforce that is representative of our population. We must work together with our partners to make this a 'living' agreement that will, in part, prepare the places where nurses work as they become truly representative of our communities."

"CUPE is proud to be involved in this partnership signing," CUPE Health Care Council President Steve Foley said. "Building positive relations, and creating equitable and fair workplaces between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people is essential to building a representative workforce in Saskatchewan."

The Saskatchewan Government, through the AEDP, strives to build a workforce in Saskatchewan where Aboriginal people compete for jobs based on their skills and qualifications, and where they have representation at all occupational levels in proportion to their population numbers in the province.

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For More Information, Contact:

Anna Arneson Government Relations and Aboriginal Affairs Regina Phone: (306)787-8008