Can't get negotiated deal with Williams: MDs

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association accused the provincial government Tuesday of creating a toxic environment at the bargaining table.

The NLMA, which has been locked in a stalemate with government for a contract that will cover the salaries and fees for more than 1,100 physicians, released months of correspondence it says proves that government has been dragging its feet.

At a news conference Tuesday, the association said the correspondence which includes seven letters from the NLMA and one letter by Premier Danny Williams shows a pattern that stretches back to last summer.

"Our whole objective in all of this is to come to some reasonable conclusion to the negotiation process," association president Dr. Brendan Lewis told reporters Tuesday.

Negotiations between the NLMA and the government took a rancorous turn in March, when both Williams and Health Minister Jerome Kennedy aimed criticism not only at the NLMA leadership, but also at a group of St. John's pathologists who had complained about their working environment.

Lewis said he thought it was "unusual" that key members of the government have been outspoken about physicians, and asked for a less confrontational tone from government.

"We believe there's no room to take personal attacks at anyone. We believe that we should deal with the issues and concentrate on the issues, and that what happened in the past should be left in the past," Lewis said.

The NLMA, which has been campaigning to bring remuneration for its members up to the Atlantic Canadian average, has so far failed to win binding arbitration. The government has insisted that a negotiated settlement would be best.

But on Tuesday, NLMA executive director Rob Ritter said it is laughable for the government to suggest the doctors should come back to the bargaining table. He pointed to controversial statements by Premier Danny Williams, who said the NLMA's demands were "through the roof."

"The only thing that's on record today is the statement by the premier, that our proposals are worthless," said Ritter, adding he suspects government has a closed mind on the talks.

"He's already made a judgment."

Finance Minister Tom Marshall said Tuesday the government will soon respond to the latest letter from the NLMA.

"We've analyzed the eight or 10 items in that letter. We've now completed our analysis of that," Marshall told CBC News.

"The government is deciding how it will respond and we're about to do that, and when they get that letter we certainly feel that the doctors at that point should get back to the table, and let's continue the discussions."