Union warns escalating safety risks and psychological harm has reached a “crisis” point that demands an emergency response
CUPE Saskatchewan is calling on the provincial government to declare a workplace health and safety emergency, warning that rising violence, harassment and psychological injury are putting workers and the public at risk across multiple sectors.
Rising violence across public-facing workplaces
The call, issued in a March 6 press release and backed by a province-wide petition, urges the Government of Saskatchewan to formally recognize what the union describes as a “growing crisis” and to work directly with workers and unions on solutions. CUPE has also designated 2026 as its “year of health and safety,” underscoring the priority being placed on occupational risks and prevention.
CUPE Saskatchewan president Kent Peterson says the situation has deteriorated across many public-facing and care-based workplaces.
“Workers across Saskatchewan face increasing risks of workplace violence, harassment, [and] psychological injury, especially in those public-facing and care-based professions,” he says, noting both empirical data and workers’ reports point to a worsening trend.
Health care, schools and libraries under strain
Peterson says CUPE represents about 14,000 workers in Saskatchewan’s health-care system, where staff are encountering a range of violent and unsafe situations. He points to incidents involving weapons brought into hospitals and medical facilities, with some intercepted at the door and others making it inside, affecting patients, visitors and staff.
“Folks are in a hospital or a health care facility to receive care. It ought to be a safe place for everybody,” says Peterson.
Violence in schools is another area of concern. CUPE represents educational assistants and other school support staff who, Peterson said, are experiencing physical assaults such as biting, scratching, pushing and objects being thrown at them. In some cases, employers have provided Kevlar sleeves to reduce the risk of serious injury from bites.
“That’s not appropriate. It’s not right,” he says, describing incidents where educational assistants have suffered serious injuries, including tailbone damage after being shoved backwards.
Public libraries are also increasingly becoming sites of complex risk, Peterson adds, as gaps in community supports for people experiencing homelessness, poverty, substance use and the toxic drug crisis spill into these public spaces.
“These are people that took jobs in libraries to be librarians and library workers. They are not social workers or counselors or addictions experts or police officers or medical first responders,” he says. He describes routine experiences involving verbal abuse, threats, overdoses, physical assaults and police calls in some library workplaces.
Beyond those sectors, CUPE Saskatchewan represents municipal workers (both indoor customer-facing staff and outdoor crews), community-based organizations including long-term care and group homes, and university staff in both indoor and trades or maintenance roles. Many of these roles involve direct interaction with the public, which the union says heightens exposure to unpredictable and sometimes violent situations.
CUPE pushes for emergency declaration and systemic change
Peterson argues the scale and severity of injuries and incidents now warrant a formal emergency declaration, similar in seriousness to responses to natural disasters.
“If we had that number of people being injured and unfortunately killed in many other contexts, you would declare a provincial emergency,” he claims. He adds CUPE submitted a nearly 60-page package of health and safety proposals to the provincial government in December and wants to see concrete action on those recommendations.
CUPE Saskatchewan is calling on the province to immediately partner with workers and unions to address violence, workplace hazards and threats to physical and psychological well-being, and says chronic underfunding, short staffing and limited access to training and supports are contributing to unsafe conditions. Peterson contends current provincial resourcing is not sufficient to address the problem and that many workers feel their experiences are not fully believed or taken seriously.
He notes multiple ministries would likely be involved in any comprehensive response, including labour, finance, education, health and social services, but stresses “the buck stops at the top,” arguing the premier has the authority to make workplace health and safety a provincial priority.
Canadian Occupational Safety contacted the office of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and it issued the following statement:
"Our government takes the health, safety and well‑being of workers in Saskatchewan very seriously. Violence has no place in any workplace, and we remain committed to ensuring that employers are meeting their responsibilities to protect staff. Protecting workers remains a priority, and we will continue to work with employers, unions, and safety partners to ensure Saskatchewan workplaces are safe, healthy, and supportive."
The union’s petition is being circulated among members as part of its push for change. Peterson says activists on CUPE’s occupational health and safety committees are gathering signatures to demonstrate broad worker support for an emergency declaration.
