Media blackout in place as nurses head back to table

Newfoundland and Labrador's nurses and officials from Treasury Board and the regional health authorities have resumed formal talks, but have pledged to say nothing in public about them.

Bargaining resumed Thursday on a new contract for members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union, which won a strike mandate from its members in voting that concluded last week.

The NLNU and government negotiators have agreed to respect a media blackout.

The NLNU refused to accept the four-year wage template that the government had negotiated with most other public sector unions.

Last week, Finance Minister Jerome Kennedy revealed details of the government's newest offer, which included agreeing to the union's demands to raise starting salaries for nurses as well as the top pay scales. However, Kennedy — who made the surprise announcement while delivering the annual budget speech — said the extra incentives will apply if the nurses accept government demands at the table.

The Nurses' Union broke off contract talks early last fall, calling government intransigent at the bargaining table. The nurses proceeded to halt doing what they called "non-nursing" tasks, including housekeeping and booking appointments.

The union has said that such work often falls to nurses because many institutions are chronically short of support staff.