N.L. nurses would agree to binding arbitration: union president

Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador will give up their right to strike if the government will agree to binding arbitration, the nurses' union president said Thursday.

Debbie Forward said it's a one-time offer made in an attempt to settle the contract impasse that appears to be headed toward a strike by the nurses.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union wrote a letter to Finance Minister Jerome Kennedy on Friday in which it dropped a contentious bargaining position and put a significantly smaller wage demand before the Treasury Board.

The union's letter said it is now asking to negotiate a two-year contract instead of a four-year contract — a condition the government must accept before talks resume, but Kennedy replied that wasn't going to happen.

Forward said Monday she wouldn't reopen talks either until the government drops its pre-condition of a four-year deal with the same wage package and concessions as other unions.

Nurses will start holding strike votes on Monday.

The strike vote will take about six weeks to complete, and the government has already said that it will legislate nurses back to work if they go on strike.

Forward said the union will go to court to challenge any back-to-work legislation that imposes a contract on the nurses.