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HAMILTON City council has put its bottom line before good services in its decisions to award recycling collection to a private company, said Gus Oliveira, president of CUPE Local 5167.

“This is the council that stole Christmas,” Oliveira said. “They have made an irresponsible decision that insults people who have been serving the community for years and leaves the rest of us subject to the whims of a private monopoly,” Oliveira said.

Earlier this year, the city decided to cancel its contract with the non-profit Third Sector Recycling. CUPE Local 5167, which represents both Third Sector workers and municipal employees, originally submitted a proposal to bring 100% of the work in-house. When council rejected that option, the union proposed to split collection of recyclables so that half would be picked up by city workers and the other half by a private firm, the same as current practice for garbage collection.

“We won’t let this rest,” Oliveira said. “We’ll be taking steps to seek successor rights and help our members keep their jobs.”

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For more information, contact:

Gus Oliveira, President, CUPE Local 5167, 905-522-0917
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications, 416-616-6142 (cell)