Today, members of CUPE 966 addressed Region of Peel councillors over concerns about the Ford Government’s secrecy around recommendations made by the Peel Transition Board, including the possibility of privatizing necessary public services like the region’s water and wastewater.
“While Doug Ford has backtracked on plans to dissolve the region entirely, plans for the future of the region are still being kept a secret,” said CUPE 966 President Salil Arya, who represents municipal workers in the Region of Peel. “Important decisions that will affect Peel residents and our members like the privatization of public services are being made in the dark without transparency or public knowledge and it’s unacceptable.”
Last month, news broke that the Peel Transition Board could be recommending the privatization of water and wastewater, a decision that could impact on the quality of the region’s water and take control of its most valuable resource out of public hands.
“Peel residents pushed back last year when the province wanted to dissolve the region, and Ford backed down,” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “The stakes are even higher if Ford is planning to privatize Peel’s water, because we’re talking about a necessity of life. If it takes another fight by residents to keep Peel water in public hands, CUPE Ontario will be there.”
CUPE 966 called on the Region of Peel to demand that the Ford government release the recommendations made by the transition board, and to reject any plans to privatize public services.
“Peel residents deserve to know what the Ford government’s plans are, and whether or not privatization of water and other public services is on the table,” Arya said. “CUPE members currently work to provide Peel with clean, safe, water. Our members don’t just meet the standards, they set them. Peel should be proud to have such a great public service, and the Region should resoundly reject any plans from the government to privatize our water. Privatization of municipal services, especially our water, is simply not worth the risk.”