CUPE has sounded the alarm in Kirkland Lake that local officials are looking at contracting out the towns water services.
Bob Rosicki, president of CUPE Local 26, went public last week after the local learned the town might contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to manage the communitys water system. In the past, the Ontario government has expressed interest in privatizing OCWA.
After Walkerton, the last thing we need is to lose local control of our waterworks, says Rosicki. Instead of bringing in an outside manager, the town and the utility should recruit a certified operator and bring much needed jobs to Kirkland Lake.
The unions announcement drew an angry response from town councillors but Rosiki says, we are the frontline workers and we felt we had a responsibility to warn the public that officials from OCWA have been touring the plant and meetings have taken place.
Bob Rosicki, president of CUPE Local 26, went public last week after the local learned the town might contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to manage the communitys water system. In the past, the Ontario government has expressed interest in privatizing OCWA.
After Walkerton, the last thing we need is to lose local control of our waterworks, says Rosicki. Instead of bringing in an outside manager, the town and the utility should recruit a certified operator and bring much needed jobs to Kirkland Lake.
The unions announcement drew an angry response from town councillors but Rosiki says, we are the frontline workers and we felt we had a responsibility to warn the public that officials from OCWA have been touring the plant and meetings have taken place.