Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.

(Hamilton) The Transition Boards expensive newspaper ads about privatization of municipal services shows the Board just doesnt get it.

That reaction comes today from the president of the union which represents some 2,600 municipal workers in Hamilton. Gus Oliveira says the ads, which talk about so-called Alternative Ways to Deliver Municipal Services are completely out of step with the results of a recent public opinion poll conducted on the very subject.

Says Oliveira, These ads are blatant propaganda from the Board, which has now made it clear that they would like to see municipal services handed over to their buddies in the private sector, despite the fact that residents of the new City of Hamilton have said they dont want this. What they describe as added opportunities in their ads are in reality attempts to privatize or contract out core city services.

A public opinion poll released less than a month ago showed that two out of three residents across the new city believe public employees would do a better job of running sewage treatment, collecting garbage, and maintaining the quality of drinking water.

The findings were consistent for all eight of the public services measured in the poll, says the CUPE president.

Instead of wasting tax dollars on costly newspaper ads, perhaps the Board members could familiarize themselves with the results of the poll on privatization. The vast majority of people do not want to go down this road, adds Oliveira.

In addition, the underlying tone of these ads is offensive to municipal workers who work damn hard on behalf of residents and taxpayers. This board seems to have bought into the mythology that if its public sector it must be bad - private sector it must be good. The people of Hamilton are not that gullible. Look at the fiasco that happened with the privatization of our sewage treatment plants, says the CUPE 5167 president.

For information:
Gus Oliveira, President, CUPE Local 5167
(416) 522-0917 (o)
John McCracken, CUPE Communications Rep.
(416) 292-3999 (o)

opeiu 491/sem