Despite the fact that 90 per cent of people in Peterborough are strongly opposed to the sell-off of the city’s electricity provider, council voted to recommend the sale of PDI in a six to five vote that betrayed the voters that elected them.
“The people of Peterborough don’t want this. Navigant, the City’s own consultant, identified that the numbers being used to justify the sale are flawed. Yet still five councillors sided with the mayor to support the sale,” says Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “They were elected to work in the best interest of the people who elected them and they clearly failed to do their job tonight.”
“I think it’s important to recognize the good work of Councillors Therrein, Pappas, Riel, Vassiliadis and Baldwin, who are still working to try and stop the sale of PDI. Their work on behalf of our community is so important,” says Candace Rennick, Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Ontario. “If the sale of our locally owned electricity provider is allowed to proceed, the negative impacts will be felt for generations to come. It is not too late for Councillor Parnell and others to do the right thing.”
The recommendation to sell will now go to a final vote at the next Council meeting on December 15, providing further opportunities for people to call their councillors and make their concerns heard.
“Our Council was elected to represent the people of Peterborough not the Hydro One executives who want this deal to succeed,” says Adam Coones, local president for CUPE’s library workers and active member of the Save PDI Coalition. “We will be continuing to push councillors like Lesley Parnell to reconsider their position and vote in the best interest of their constituents.”
CUPE is Ontario’s community union, with more than 260,000 members providing quality public services we all rely on, in every part of the province, every day. CUPE Ontario members are proud to work in social services, health care, municipalities, school boards, universities and airlines.