Alex Salloum
Leader-Post
There was a new feature at the Conservation Learning Centre (CLC) PA Field Day on Tuesday, July 24 as the Centre partnered with SaskOrganics for the afternoon session
Years after the scheduled rollout of a new IT system, health-care workers are still dealing with logistical headaches and short paycheques.
The Administrative Information Management System (AIMS) is designed to administer payroll, human resources, supply management and eventually scheduling for the 50,000 employees working within the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), 3sHealth, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, eHealth Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations Inc., and “other affiliates and partners,” according to the AIMS website.
It was originally meant to rollout in 2021, but wasn’t deployed until November 2022. It was quickly withdrawn given a number of errors that occurred at the time related to paycheques and scheduling.
CUPE 5430 president Bashir Jalloh said workers around the province have been shortchanged hundreds of dollars on their paycheques since a second rollout attempt earlier this month.
“The biggest problem they’re having is particular to their pay. People are not getting paid. We have tried to work with the SHA for the past two weeks now but still, the problems remain,” said Jalloh in an interview Monday.
CUPE 5430 is the largest health-care union in Saskatchewan, representing some 13,000 workers. Jalloh said there are issues with nurses not being compensated according to their designation, as one example. In the south of the province technologists are being taxed in a way “that is completely wrong” with one member “missing about $1,080,” he added.
“People are having significant problems. We all know about the financial climate right now in the province. People are worried about their bills. People are worried about their mortgages,” said Jalloh. “It’s terrible.”
There is little in the way of communication from AIMS when a ticket is entered to complain about missed pay, he said, and there are also concerns related to shift differential pay, movement on the pay grid and more.
“We just want our members to get paid. They have bills to pay. We are tired of this.”
President of SEIU-West Barbara Cape said members of her union have seen pay disruptions as well as issues with ordering and procuring supplies through AIMS.
“I mean it hasn’t totally collapsed or failed in the first five days like the last iteration, but there are definitely a lot of pinch points and bumps There have been some issues with new hires not being paid at all, she noted, adding paystubs do not offer itemized lists for deductions, which Cape said is “a huge problem” that leads to questions about “whether or not people have been paid properly.” along the way,” said Cape on Monday.
There have been some issues with new hires not being paid at all, she noted, adding paystubs do not offer itemized lists for deductions, which Cape said is “a huge problem” that leads to questions about “whether or not people have been paid properly.”
Getting responses to inquiries “has proven to be damn near impossible,” she said, echoing Jalloh’s concerns.
As Cape sees it, part of the issue is that there was not adequate training offered in advance of the rollout or since AIMS was activated.
“It is intended, I guess, to take 12 legacy systems from the former health authorities and roll them all into one purportedly seamless operation,” she said.
In 2023, the provincial auditor recommended the SHA do a “lessons learned report” for AIMS following delays and the nearly tripling of its projected budget from $86 million to $240 million.
The province did not respond to a request for an interview in time for Monday’s print deadline.
