Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a very real way, people are our health care system, and how the dedicated professionals who make up the system are compensated and treated is a major factor in the NWT's health care crisis. I stand with nurses and all workers to have fair and sustainable wages and benefits. To have a resourceful, sustainable, and thriving community, we need to be healthy, and we desperately need health care workers to be proud to work in the NWT health care system that treats them with respect and values their contributions. Nurses, and all our health care workers, are struggling to pick up the pieces from the pandemic, and the employer has not truly valued them for their service. I believe that the retention of experienced nurses and health care workers is important to all unionized workers.
As past president of UNW Local 40, I heard health care workers' concerns voiced at the bargaining conference in the summer of 2022 where the union collectively chose to stand for those workers in this round of bargaining. I am hopeful that the mediator will help this round of bargaining come to a fair conclusion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Tu NedheWiilideh.
