Editor:
The recent “Family Day” statutory holiday cost the taxpayers of Williams Lake approximately $20,000 for the union employees alone.
When we consider there are 11 City statutory holidays, the total cost to us taxpayers is about $220,000.
Also during these eleven days, we get no return for our tax dollars from the salaried employees. But we did get some “free” skating and swimming courtesy of a Provincial Government grant also paid by our tax dollars.
And for those employees overseeing the free skating and swimming, we probably paid double wages and another paid day off in lieu.
We found ourselves in the position of having no City services while the union employees were striking.
So, we hired a mediator at the taxpayer’s expense to resolve the issue, along with travel expenses etc., etc.
This is in addition to the cost of a mediator/lawyer to take on the CRD over the fringe fire protection issues.
And in addition to costs related to hiring a company to find us a new administrator.
Hopefully, this new administrator will see just how ridiculous all this wasted expense is and start cutting at the top where all the big money is being spent.
Rather than hire mediators to negotiate with the union, we should bring in a panel of taxpayers made up mostly of seniors and small business owners who know the value of a dollar.
Outside interests have no reason to protect our money and the senior staff don’t care because whatever the union employees get only help them pad their own incomes in the future.
In my previous letter I suggested we demand an amalgamation of all local government bodies to reduce overhead and I still think this would be a step in the right direction.
Peter Philpotts
Williams Lake