Saskatoon StarPhoenix reporter James Wood writes in an article in the Friday, November 30, 2007 issue entitled: Wall enters strike fray, Settle or face back-to-work law, premier warns about Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall's apparent anxiousness to legislate an end to the strike at Saskatchewan's two universities.
Just to clear up any possible confusion caused by this article. I told James Wood when he contacted me by telephone (Thursday) that since the election of the new government I have sent the Minister (of Labour) 2 letters (on different topics). I also attempted to contact him once by telephone - last week.
The telephone call was my offer to meet with him to provide my insight into the dispute, and to offer my analysis of the options available to assist in resolving the dispute.
He has not returned my call, nor taken me up on my offer.
Obviously, the "new" labour minister, and the "new" Premier are not as interested in "reaching out to labour" as they promised during the election campaign.
A couple of bloggers have already posted on Wall's comments:
Buckdog: Saskatchewan Party Government Threatens To Legislate University Support Workers Back to Work!
Sean in Saskatchewan: Sask Politics: Wall, CUPE 1975 strike, and back-to-work?
When Wall talks about reaching out to labour he failed to mention what he meant by this comment. He meant to say reaching out to labour and choking the life out of labour. I guess you shouldn't have been so naive Larry, and you should have had him elaborate on what reaching out to labour really means.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that CUPE offered to go back to work the other week, and have this mediated, it's a feeble attempt from Wall to characterize this dispute as a one way stalemate. Giving the UofR/S the upper hand with back to work legislation on the table, is dirty pool, especially given the 85% rejection of the "corrected" "final offer".
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