The following statement was issued today by Anna Thistle, President of Treasury Board. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Recently there has been a considerable amount of correspondence between the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union, the ad hoc nursing crisis committee and government over the issue of recruitment and retention of nurses in Labrador. Today I would like to clearly state government's position on this matter for all members present and for the general public.

While we appreciate the concerns that have been put forward by the ad hoc nursing crisis committee, government has a responsibility to deal with members of a collective bargaining unit in an appropriate manner. This manner is to deal with the officially certified bargaining agent for nurses in the province.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union is the officially certified bargaining agent for nurses in the province. I am calling on the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union to recognize its responsibility to its members as the officially certified bargaining agent for nurses and to formally meet with government officials to discuss the concerns of their Labrador members. Effective immediately, government officials are willing to meet with representatives from the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union to work toward a resolution of concerns put forward by Labrador nurses.

If the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union is not prepared to officially meet with government to discuss these issues, government can only assume that the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union has abandoned their right to represent nurses in Labrador. We urge the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union to act immediately to address the outstanding concerns of their members.

1999 12 10                    9:15 a.m.