"It is time for the Premier to stop the rhetoric and let cooler heads prevail," said Mr. Grimes. "The Premier continuously hurts the negotiations every time he opens his mouth. This morning on an open line program he criticized the unions, their leadership and the Opposition. How does he feel this will lead to an agreement?

"The people of the province want this strike settled in a timely fashion. Negotiators are currently gathered for both sides in an effort to end the strike. The Premier’s comments do nothing to help this situation. I am willing to stop discussing the strike situation publicly and allow the negotiations to continue in a manner that promotes an agreement. If the Premier agrees to do the same, we can allow the negotiators to do their jobs without threats and rhetoric.

"This Premier must learn that criticizing the people he is hoping to reach an agreement with will not lead to a successful resolution. His intimidation and bullying tactics must be stopped immediately. If he is serious about finding a solution to the strike, I suggest he agree to my proposal and allow the process to unfold as it should.

"I await the Premier’s response. It is up to him to agree to our sign of good faith."