As part of CUPEs effort to build strong communities, National President Paul Moist met last week with the mayor of Edmonton and is looking to meet with mayors of major cities across the country.
The current sources of revenue available to Canadian cities are simply not adequate to meet the needs of their residents, says Moist. Cities and towns need to be able to tap into their fair share of tax dollars so we can provide quality public services and rebuild our urban infrastructure.
Moist took advantage of his meeting with Mayor Bill Smith to present two studies commissioned by CUPE: one on the risk of public private partnerships under international trade deals and another on better ways to fund municipal services.
Our research on alternative methods of public financing shows that municipal bonds and dedicated fuel taxes are a much better way to meet infrastructure needs than P3s, says Moist.
Accompanying him to the meeting were CUPE 30 president Alex Grimaldi and Dave Loken, liaison representative for the Coalition of Edmonton Civic Unions.
As CUPE pushes forward its urban agenda, Moist will be meeting with other municipal locals and their mayors.