Whistler workers denied right to speak at council meeting

[Mar 8, 2005 01:21 PM]

WHISTLER – When Whistler municipal workers got up to speak during public

question period at last night’s council meeting, chair and mayor Hugh O’

Reilly did the unthinkable – he denied them an opportunity to speak.

"We knew our employer was anti-union, but we didn’t want to accept that some

members on council could also be anti-democratic," said CUPE 2010 President,

Pete Davidson, who has been a water operator for Whistler for over 12 years,

as well as a taxpayer, resident and volunteer firefighter.

The municipal workers, who are currently engaged in a work-to-rule campaign

over employer demands to rollback their benefits and eliminate set hours and

schedules of work, came to council to describe the negative impact the

labour dispute has already had on residents of Whistler and to ask council

to urge their staff to get back to the bargaining table.

"It’s ironic that the home of the Olympics in 2010 lacks the democratic

traditions established in ancient Greece over two thousand years ago," says

Davidson. "It’s a real embarrassment for Whistler."

"Mayor and council should remember who elects them," says Davidson. "If they

don’t remember it now, we’ll have to remind them in November."

CUPE 2010 represents Whistler’s water, wastewater, utilities workers and

by-law officers.

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Contact: Pete Davidson, CUPE 2010 president (604)935-8603 or Diane Kalen,

CUPE Communications (778)229-0258.