PREMIER, SUN AND SAHO SIGN BACK TO WORK AGREEMENT

Released on April 19, 1999

Premier Roy Romanow, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) President

Rosalee Longmoore and Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations

(SAHO) Chair Brian Rourke today signed a Memorandum of Understanding

ending the nurses strike and restarting negotiations towards a

collective agreement.



"I'm sure every citizen of Saskatchewan will join me in a huge sigh of

relief that this is over," Romanow said. "Nobody wins as long as a

strike like this goes on. But we can all win nurses, the health

system and the people of Saskatchewan if we can build on the common

ground we've finally found today and if we can work together to

improve medicare, starting today."



The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed today provides that:



SUN members will receive salary increases of two per cent each

year for the next three years.



SUN members will receive an additional one per cent, which will

be used to cover professional fees.



Health and dental benefits will be normalized across the health

sector and adjustments will be made to pay and benefits flowing

from the Dorsey process.



A fund will be established to assist the government, SAHO and SUN

in improving recruitment and retention of nurses.



Workplace issues including seniority, nursing practices and the

creation of more full-time jobs have been addressed.



In total, the contract is worth 13.7 per cent of payroll over

three years the same rate provided for in recent agreements

with the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Service

Employees International Union.



"The terms of the MOU will result in a contract that is fair to

nurses, fair to other health care providers and fair to

taxpayers," Romanow said. "I am particularly pleased that we

have been able to agree on measures that will improve working

conditions for nurses to better allow them to concentrate on

patient care.



"To the volunteers, health workers, health administrators,

essential services nurses, doctors and all others who kept our

system going, I want to offer you my heartfelt thanks and eternal

gratitude," Romanow said. "You are the heroes of these hard

days.



"To the patients and families affected by this dispute, I want to

say that I understand how frightening and disturbing this dispute

has been for you. Foremost in the minds of all of us at this

table is our obligation to get the health system back in

business, to provide the best patient care we possibly can and to

find ways to never have this happen again.



"This dispute is now behind us. We're going to make every effort

to pick up the pieces, to get back to work on the basis of this

year's health care budget and to do what I know you expect of us

to continue to build and maintain the best health care system

in Canada."



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Anna Arneson

Media Services

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-0850