Mayor Ford: If you really want to save money,
try talking to workers instead of bullying them
Threat of layoffs ‘yet another in a long line of broken promises,’
says CUPE 416 Vice President
TORONTO, Ont. — Mayor Rob Ford’s threat to lay off city staff is ‘just another in a long line of broken promises,” the Vice President, Toronto Civic Employees Union (TCEU), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 416 said today.
Dave Hewitt was responding to reports that the Mayor issued a thinly-veiled ultimatum during a television interview that staff who don’t accept the City’s voluntary buyout offer could face layoffs.
“Just a week before his election, Mayor Ford released a video on YouTube that pledged no layoffs, since he could achieve any workforce reductions through attrition. His comments today are yet another in a long line of broken promises he has achieved in less than a year in office,” said Hewitt.
The Mayor’s comments this morning come on the heels of a so-called ‘voluntary separation package’ offered to employees earlier this month.
Hewitt suspects few employees are taking up the City’s offer because “they know it’s a bad deal for residents and a bad deal for them personally.”
“We all know that every single buyout equals a reduction of services that our neighbourhoods depend on,” he added.
Candace Rennick, Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Ontario, which represents more than 220,000 workers across the Province, said City workers could count on the support of every CUPE Ontario member.
“CUPE Ontario pledges the full support of its 220,000 members across the Province to support the people of Toronto from Rob Ford’s broken promises and bullying,” said Rennick.
Hewitt urged the Mayor to look for real solutions, rather than trying to bully workers.
“If he was really interested in saving money, he’d sit down with front-line workers who know where to find waste and how to make city operations run more efficiently, rather than resorting to threats and bullying.” said Hewitt.
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For more information, contact:
Dave Hewitt, CUPE 416 Vice-President, 416-451-7528
Kevin Wilson, CUPE Communications, 416-821-6641