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Senses conflict of interest

Senses conflict of interest Open letter to Mayor Bev Buckway and council: It is our understanding that the union is about to begin negotiations with the city of Whitehorse for a new contract for the city employees. The Utilities Consumers' Group has wri

Open letter to Mayor Bev Buckway and council:

It is our understanding that the union is about to begin negotiations with the city of Whitehorse for a new contract for the city employees.

The Utilities Consumers’ Group has written a letter to the union heads and city workers identifying our concerns.

During the last budget review, the Utilities Consumers’ Group wrote to council with our concerns regarding having a management team negotiate terms of a new contract with city employees. This issue was conspicuously absent from any response received from the mayor and/or management.

We remain committed to seeing this process cease immediately as this is a severe conflict of interest. Why? Any gains made by union workers are generally rolled-over or flowed-through to the administration contracts coming directly after.

As this is also an election year, this flow-through will likely be used as the blueprint for the mayor’s and council’s wages, as well. This is commonly when the council can implement a new schedule of pay for the next council, as theoretically they would not benefit from such a decision.

How many of you plan on running again?

As such, we strongly recommend that an independent group of city citizens be charged with negotiating such contracts.

Roger Rondeau

president, Utilities Consumers’ Group

Whitehorse

See more letters page 10.