Premier Brad Wall says support workers and management at the University of Regina and Saskatchewan must work out their differences if they don't want the province to get involved.

"I've asked the minister to outline all of the options," Wall said. "I will rule none of them out."

That includes the possibility of legislation to end the month-old strike by 2,400 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Earlier this week, the workers overwhelmingly rejected what management called its final offer. Key issues include wages, benefits and a proposal to link increases to performance. The two sides are meeting with a conciliator on Friday.

It's time for both sides to get serious about reaching an agreement, Wall said. Legislating the CUPE members back to work is one option; others include binding arbitration or mediation, he said.

"Obviously there's different forms of mediation, and the minister has been inventorying the list of opportunities we have as a government to be a positive force in ending this dispute," he said.

CUPE spokesman Brad McKaig said later in the afternoon he was disappointed by Wall's comments because Wall had earlier indicated he would not intervene.

"Our expectation, our belief is that tomorrow free collective bargaining will take place once again and we can get something done," he said.

Wall said he is especially concerned because the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan says the strike is affecting medical services, especially in pediatrics.

If the strike continues much longer, the U of S may have to close clinics and cancel some surgeries, the dean of the U of S College of Medicine said.

Dr. Bill Albritton said they are running out of patients to treat because new referrals can't be made while CUPE support workers are on strike.

Albritton said his colleagues are struggling to cope.

"The inability of a clinician to provide health care in the environment in which they work is very, very frustrating," he said.