The reviews are in

Murray Mandryk rightly calls out the Sask Party for politicizing labour negotiations, and places the blame for the resulting fallout where it belongs:

What is bothering many workers, however, is articulated in the CUPE/SGEU/SEIU (Service Employees International Union) newspaper ads you saw on the weekend that talk about SAHO and the government "playing favourites" by "giving some health-care workers better treatment than others."

One of the reasons the Sask. Party wanted SUN (the public sector union with the best public image) on its side going into the 2007 election was the pure political one of softening the Sask. Party's image with urban voters and women. More problematic was the Sask. Party government's eagerness to cement this relationship with its extraordinarily generous offer to SUN.

Simply put, the government stuck its nose in the SUN negotiations, resulting in SAHO doing the political bidding of the Sask. Party rather than doing its job of getting the best possible deal for the Saskatchewan taxpayers.

Now, the other health-care unions are miffed and refusing to settle and SAHO is again doing the political bidding of the Sask. Party by cutting off negotiations and embarking on the current campaign to convince us the wage offers are fair and equitable.

Perhaps, the offers are fair and equitable, but the treatment of the other unions isn't.