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REGINA—CUPE Saskatchewan President Tom Graham along with Tim Anderson, president of CUPE Local 21, representing City of Regina outside workers and Lorne Chow, president of CUPE Local 7 inside workers, will make presentations to council at tonight’s meeting (March 26). CUPE will call on the City to hold a referendum in the upcoming municipal elections rather than amend the City’s procurement model to include Public Private Partnership (P3s).

Council is considering making amendments to Regina Administration Bylaw 2003-69 to consider Public Private Partnership (P3) as an alternative to traditional procurement.

It’s a privatization deal that uses a different name to accomplish the same thing – the public losing control over its services and key infrastructure,” says Tom Graham, CUPE Saskatchewan president.

Graham notes that P3s impose large and mostly unadvertised costs on taxpayers while rarely coming in on time or on budget.

CUPE will provide insights into what other municipalities have experienced in terms of cost overruns and difficulties with P3s. 

CUPE appreciates the concerns that administration and council have on meeting the infrastructure needs of Regina”, says Tim Anderson, CUPE Local 21 president. “But it’s critical that council talk with other municipalities who have dealt with failed P3 projects so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Anderson and Chow will raise a series of questions for council to consider before implementing a major change on the way the city plans to build and fund public services.

Many other municipalities have learned the hard way that public private partnerships are not all that they are built up to be,” said CUPE Local 7 President Lorne Chow.

CUPE Saskatchewan represents over 29,000 members who work in various sectors, boards and agencies across the province. CUPE Locals 7 and 21 represent over 1,300 workers who provide important front-line services to the City of Regina – maintain and repair sewer and water lines, collect garbage and upkeep the landfill site, maintain and repair city streets, keep parks and green spaces beautiful, deliver recreation programs, ensure efficient operation of the city including enforcing bylaws, assessing property, providing administrative and  accounting support, and city planning.


For more information, please contact:        

Tom Graham
CUPE SK President
306-229-8171

Tim Anderson
CUPE Local 21 President
 306-527-5181

Lorne Chow
CUPE Local 7 President
306-537-1921
  

Appendix A – Questioning the Assumptions of P3s (available at: www.cupe.sk.ca)

Appendix B – Flawed. Failed.  Abandoned. 100 P3s – Canadian and International Evidence (available at: www.cupe.sk.ca)