By Mario deSantis, April 9, 1999

I just listened to CBC radio 540 and heard that Honourable Romanow is urging nurses "...to respect the law and return to work..." Further, SAHO (Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations) is applying for a Court's injunction to force nurses back to work. In an effort to become the Saskatchewan saviour of health care, after his miserable leadership, Premier Romanow met on Wednesday April 7 with representatives of both the SUN (Saskatchewan Union of Nurses) and SAHO. As this meeting failed to reach any concrete satisfactory result, the nurses went on strike and immediately thereafter back to work legislation was passed along with the imposed 6% salary increase over three years.

This is a typical politician's "quick fix" which will eventually have overreaching implications not only for health care but for our socio-economic system as well. Premier Romanow showed bad faith in interfering with the lawful process of collective bargaining, and by immediately introducing back to work legislation. I am happy to see the nurses being all united and defying the back to work legislation. Premier Romanow is now urging nurses to go back to work and respect the law; but what about the Premier's bad faith behind the back to work legislation?

Good faith is the fundamental principle behind any societal relationships, and since Premier Romanow doesn't have any, I don't know how legally valid is his back to work legislation. This is a poor day for Saskatchewan, and a slap in the face to Tommy Douglas whose leadership and vision created Medicare and Hospital care in this province and in this country. This legislation is not the Saskatchewan way, Premier Romanow reminds us in any of his speeches; this legislation is the Honourable Romanow's way.