[LabComm] PRESS RELEASE: August 12 re: What exactly did city council approve last night?

[Harprit Khaira]

CUPE Communique

August 12, 2003



What exactly did city council approve last night?

PRINCE GEORGE—City employees in Prince George are expressing concern and
recommending caution to city councillors after last night's agreement in
principle by City Council to accept five recommendations aimed at
rearranging the way Prince George does business.

"Council's vote last night could see hundreds of thousands of dollars spent
on "strategies" and "communications plans but not one cent on concrete
actions that would improve eroding public infrastructure, issues that are
among the stated priorities of citizens and tax payers " said Leann Dawson,
CUPE national representative."

Dawson is cautioning councillors who are concerned with all Prince George
citizens, not just its corporate citizens, to pay heed to the fact that the
out-of-province consultants who developed these recommendations on behalf of
the city council-appointed but business-controlled Service Delivery to
Business Customers Task Force, did not feel any compulsion to talk to the
public or to front-line city workers.

"In their zeal to present a case that would benefit business though not
necessarily ordinary citizens, these consultants, under the direction of the
task force did not even bother consulting with ordinary people."

Some members of city council voted in favour of the agreement in principle
based on assurances that public and employee consultation would become part
of the process but no specific amendments were agreed to, and the city
manager was given the go-ahead to proceed.
"If councillors concerns are to be taken seriously then those concerns
should be formally reflected in any authority to proceed."

CUPE will present its own investigative findings in a report to both the
public and to city council in the coming weeks. City staff, inside and
outside workers, have requested time at the next council meeting scheduled
for Monday August 25, 2003.

                                                -30-

Information:  Leann Dawson  (250) 612-7516, CUPE national representative
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