RMOW must address retention and labour supply issues
[Apr 29, 2005 03:49 PM] The Whistler Pique published this letter to the editor today by CUPE 2010 President Pete Davidson that acknowledges private sector efforts in Whistler to deal with labour supply and retention issues and urges the RMOW to follow suit. It also describes the severity of the retention problems in the RMOW's water, wastewater, utilities and bylaw departments. The Pique’s Clare Ogilvie wrote an interesting article that was published in April 21st edition of The Province headlined: Labour-supply strategy is needed. Her article proves once again, that elements of the private sector in Whistler (like the Royal Bank) are able to do what the Resort Municipality of Whistler has, to date, been unable to do – call a spade a spade and deal with it. Ogilvie’s article covers the most recent Whistler Chamber of Commerce meeting where Kevin Evans, chairman of the Coalition of B.C. Businesses, focused the Chamber’s attention on the labour shortage and the vital need to address it. "If that does not happen," Evans says, "then we are like a train that is running away and a collision with the station is not too far off." It is precisely such a collision that CUPE 2010 has been warning of. As municipal workers, we provide vital services that not only maintain our community, but also keep our water supply safe. Such a service needs to be provided by a highly skilled workforce that is stable. However, over half of us cannot afford to live in Whistler and as a result, we have an employee turnover rate that is on average 100 per cent every two years! Today, one of our wastewater operators resigned (to go to GVRD) with three more members on their way out, after having been courted by employers in more affordable communities that pay better than Whistler. It takes years to train these operators and they are in extremely high demand throughout the province. This is no way to run your water and waste water system. I bet international athletes and visitors won’t be too pleased to learn they will be hosted by a town that can’t even ensure a stable workforce is in place to protect the water system of its residents. Ogilvie’s article shows that the private sector is at least working to find ways to deal with the labour shortage, both in the province, but especially in Whistler. For everyone’s sake, we hope the Resort Municipality of Whistler can exercise the same wisdom. Peter Davidson President of CUPE 2010 Whistler’s municipal workers