CUPE 5430, a union representing over 14,000 health care workers in the province is demanding more transparency around health disruptions as emergency rooms close and health care professionals move on from the field in Saskatchewan. “Information around closures and service disruptions should be available to the public and tracked. The government is not providing this information and wants to charge us almost $10,000 to process a Freedom of Information request.” says Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE 5430.

The union submitted a FOI request to both the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority to determine the exact location and date of health care closures in the province. Allegedly, according to a news release from the local, the union has been asked to pay a $9,500 fee for the FOI.