[LabComm] PRESS RELEASE: August 7 re: ANOTHER BAMBOOZLE HITS CITY COUNCIL MONDAY NIGHT

[Harprit Khaira]

ANOTHER BAMBOOZLE HITS CITY COUNCIL MONDAY NIGHT

PRINCE GEORGE—Citizens and taxpayers might want to get in line for front
seats at city council next Monday night, August 11 as the Service Delivery
Task Force, appointed by the former city council presents a report in which
it claims that its work is done and its “mandate achieved.”

Just what all that means will be packaged in a report to council by
Edmonton-based consulting companies Western Management Consultants and Urban
Systems.

The CUPE locals that represent the city’s inside and outside staff obtained
a copy of the report earlier today and were stunned by its implications.

“I can only say that everyone’s frustration grows,” said Kevin McConnachie,
president of CUPE local 399, in response to news that “a report that cost
who-knows-how much is telling city council that we don’t do too much right
in Prince George and that things won’t improve until we contract-out more
work and hire more consultants.”

McConnachie and his counterpart in Local 1048 Carlene Keddie want to know
just why it is that city council and city administration have to spend money
to hire outside consultants to tell us how to run the city.  “Why,” says
Keddie, “aren’t we consulting each other? Why doesn’t management talk to its
own workers and why aren’t the public far more involved in making decisions
about priorities?”

CUPE is concerned about the singularly business orientation of the
consultants’ report. “Where are the people in this report?” say Keddie and
McConnachie. “When do they get their say about priorities?”

One example of the confusion and frustration, says Keddie, is where the
report states that on the one hand Prince George’s development costs are
already the lowest around and then goes on to suggest that those same
charges should be lower.

“I know one thing for sure,” says McConnachie, “consultants won’t fix the
street lights, and they won’t repair the roads and they won’t fix those
sidewalks to prevent injury as people walk around in our city. To me, that’s
the bottom line.”

-30-

Information:  Leanne Dawson, CUPE national representative 250-612-7516
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