The Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan has received an 88 per cent strike mandate from its members.

Members rejected a contract offer from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations that included a 5.5 per cent wage increase.

The union says the offer is a "slap in the face," considering that health care managers recently received wage increases of up to 37 per cent.

About half of full-time employees have been declared essential, which means they can't legally strike.

Contract negotiations are set to resume Wednesday.

More than 3,000 unionized paramedics, hospital pharmacists and other health sciences workers in the province have been without a contract for nearly two years.