GREATER SUDBURY The union representing 85 Greater Sudbury Hydro workers, on strike since June 19th, is calling on Mayor David Courtemanche to step in and solve the crisis.
The Mayor has been shirking his responsibilities, ignoring this crisis and allowing Council and the Board of Directors to continue their attack on the seniors of tomorrow, says Dennis Burke, National Representative of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Meanwhile, the people of Greater Sudbury have been inconvenienced and had their summer marred with uncertainty wheres the Mayor when you need him?
CUPE has offered several solutions to end the crisis, including immediate cost savings to ratepayers. The hydro board has rejected them all, continuing to demand the elimination of health care benefits for future retired workers, even though their demands will not have any impact on benefit costs for at least 20 years.
The Mayor cant hide his head in the sand, says Wyman MacKinnon, president of CUPE 4705. He cannot sit by and watch his Council and Hydro Board try to gut our collective agreement. Its time for him to remember he can just as easily be un-elected if hes seen as a ditherer. City Council appoints the Board of Directors of Greater Sudbury Hydro Inc., and several councillors sit on the board.
CUPE has undertaken a mass mailing to encourage area residents and ratepayers to demand accountability from local politicians as the strike enters its 11th week. A radio campaign is also set to begin next week.
If the Mayor wont do whats right, CUPE will be making sure the public knows the facts and who to blame, says MacKinnon. We thank the public for their continued support, and the councillors who have come out publicly to support us. Together, we can solve this crisis but the Mayor will have to do his part.
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For further information, please contact:
Wyman MacKinnon
President, CUPE 4705
705-560-4705 (office)
705-669-8526 (cell)
Dennis Burke
CUPE National Rep.
705-674-7557 (office)
705-669-9463 (cell)
Robert Lamoureux
CUPE Communications
416-292-3999