Hamilton City council should take back the reins of power from senior bureaucrats when it comes to making budget decisions, members of CUPE 5167 told council today.
Municipal employees sat in the public gallery to make the point that tomorrow’s public hearings on the city budget will be nothing more than a farce.
“Senior management is already making decisions not only before the budget has been passed, but before the community has had a chance to make its many voices heard,” said CUPE 5167 President Gus Oliveira. Managers have already met with some employee groups to tell them about service cuts, he said.
“Who’s running Hamilton?” Oliveira asked. “We elected our councillors, but it seems that the bureaucrats have taken over. Why are they making decisions about cuts to community services before council has even passed a budget?” Council should be especially wary because of bad management decisions that have been made in the past, he said.
“It was senior management that got us unto costly consultant hirings and contracts with cost overruns,” Oliveira said. “The cost of those bad decisions shouldn’t be borne by the public, through service cuts, and employees, through job cuts.”
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For more information, contact:
Gus Oliveira, President, CUPE 5167, 905-522-0917
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications, 416-292-3999 ext 222
Municipal employees sat in the public gallery to make the point that tomorrow’s public hearings on the city budget will be nothing more than a farce.
“Senior management is already making decisions not only before the budget has been passed, but before the community has had a chance to make its many voices heard,” said CUPE 5167 President Gus Oliveira. Managers have already met with some employee groups to tell them about service cuts, he said.
“Who’s running Hamilton?” Oliveira asked. “We elected our councillors, but it seems that the bureaucrats have taken over. Why are they making decisions about cuts to community services before council has even passed a budget?” Council should be especially wary because of bad management decisions that have been made in the past, he said.
“It was senior management that got us unto costly consultant hirings and contracts with cost overruns,” Oliveira said. “The cost of those bad decisions shouldn’t be borne by the public, through service cuts, and employees, through job cuts.”
-30-
For more information, contact:
Gus Oliveira, President, CUPE 5167, 905-522-0917
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications, 416-292-3999 ext 222