Her speech in the House of Assembly and the petition are contained below.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a petition today from the students of Millcrest Academy in Grand Falls-Windsor. I will not read the prayer because I know it will take up my very important time, but I will be tabling this petition.

Really, what the students of Millcrest Academy are asking for - and it is signed by 183 students - they are saying that: We formed a union of students because we do not think the strike is necessary.

You know, out of the mouths of babes is always the truth. Here are the reasons: Our school is dirty. It is not fair to students who have to sacrifice after-school activities. People have allergies, and the dust is affecting them. There is no busing, and people cannot get to school. We do not have any canteen for recess or lunch. We cannot eat in the gym, and our classroom is really dirty. We miss our secretary, because she does everything. We feel that the workers should have their rights and you guys should come to an agreement, but not legislation. It is not fair and we think you are abusing your power as Premier. The workers should not lose their work time and their sick time, because they have a family to take care of. We know the Province is in debt but it cannot be fixed overnight.

I think the most important thing they are saying is: Please be fair and compromise. Please be fair and compromise. Millcrest Academy is a school of 300 students. These students are ages eight to eleven, Grade 4, Grade 5 and Grade 6. What does the school secretary do? Well, she is a sympathetic ear. Anything that goes wrong in school, the school secretary looks after it. She provides Band-Aids, she calls their parents when they are sick, she provides medications, she looks after fundraisers; and, we all heard Mr. Fred Douglas, the President of the NLTA, say: What would a school be if we did not have a secretary there when you entered the door?

We talked about hours of work and taking the concession off the table, but do you know something? When you look at the concessions on page eighty-five, hours of work is clearly included. It is clearly included in the current collective agreement and it should remain there.

What does a janitor do? We have a full-time janitor in Grand Falls-Windsor, in Millcrest Academy, and a part-timer who works five hours a day. Right now, we have fifty children out with asthmatic conditions. They have to be kept at home. So, why do we need janitors? So, those fifty children and many more like them in the Province can go to school every day. Our janitor cleans the library, the computer lab, the breakfast room, the science lab, everything, but do you know something? I think there is a motive to what this government is trying to do. I think you are looking at privatization. When you walk out around this Confederation Building, you have our cleaners here, who are privately employed, making $6 an hour, no benefits, and you want to continue it! You want to continue it!

PETITION

TO THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF THE PROVINCE OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED

The petition of the undersigned residents

Student of Millcrest Academy in Grand Falls - Windsor

HUMBLY SHEWETH

WHEREAS the students of Millcrest Academy have formed a union of students because they do not think the strike is necessary.  Their school is dirty, the students have to sacrifice after school activities, students have allergies and dust is affecting them, there is no busing and students are  not able to get to school, they do not have any canteen for recess or lunch, they can not eat in the gymnasium and their classrooms are very dirty.

WHEREAS the students feel that the workers should have their rights and that government should come to an agreement but not legislation.  It is not fair and the student think that their Premier is abusing his power.

WHEREAS the workers should not lose their work time and their sick time because they have a responsibility and care for their family.  The students know the province is in debt but it can not be fixed overnight.

WHERE UPON the undersigned, your Petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to end this strike in a compromising and negotiative solution without Bill 18

And as in duty bound your Petitioners will every pray.

Date: April 27^th, 2004