Deal-making

In contrast to the many other contentious labour disputes over the past year, Saskatchewan's nurses had little trouble reaching agreement with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations:

A contract agreement that will provide Saskatchewan nurses with a base 7.5-per-cent pay raise over three years was reached Friday.

The tentative deal will also provide senior nurses with five years or more experience an additional two-per-cent pay raise at the start of the third year of the agreement.

Kudos to both sides for getting the deal done. It's great to have a reminder that it doesn't take a lengthy strike or lockout to reach a contract that's all parties can be happy with - and that indeed avoiding unnecessary combativeness is a great way to ensure a positive end result.