[Jan 27, 2010 08:58 PM]
The City of Vancouver is facing a number of challenges with regards to finances. As a result of those challenges are the layoffs expected to come as I write this article and possibly more in the months ahead. The Equipment Services branch has served notice of layoff to some staff in the branch. This is not a result of the budget but rather the employer’s recent realization that there is not enough work to keep the workers working. Staff being impacted are mostly apprentices in the various shops. The fabrication shop is getting hit the hardest with the loss of 6 bodies.
The employer is claiming that their clients from within the city are able to gain products cheaper from outside sources. While this may be true in their eyes I would argue that it is not. The employer in my opinion has not done enough to find work. The other aspect to this equation is the overhead costs that impact our ability to be cost effective. Currently, the tire shop is going thru a small change with their service truck being out of commission and that work is to be done by Kal-Tire. The employer claims that they can’t compete because they are cheaper. Horseshit, the city is more expensive because we seem to carry alot of overpaid clerical staff such as Superintendants. The garage has multiple levels of management that in my opinion is unneeded. There needs to be a simpler chain of command. We should have one manager and working foremen to supervise the shops. This will make us competitive to the outside contractors as we no longer need to carry the high overhead costs. The cost of running a building is relatively the same or in our case should be cheaper due to so many shops under one roof. Management salaries and benefits take a good piece of the pie. I challenge them to remove the current system and go back to the way it once was almost every chance I get. This type of management structure could improve labour relations, costs, efficiencies, morale and an overall benefit to the citizens of Vancouver.
In another area of the city that will be seeing some changes will be the Parks Board. Currently, there are discussions going on between city and parks with regards to the Sanitation department of the city taking over the parks sanitation department. The Vancouver Services Review results have not been implemented nor has there been any communication with the union as to what changes will come. I did support the review for a couple of reasons. Management has grown over the years when we have not. An audit is needed to have a true calculation where the money seems to be going. We need the opportunity for unionized workers to comment on waste, inefficiencies, problems and solutions to help get all of us out of these troubling times. Some might disagree but if you don’t speak up when the time comes you may miss your one and only chance. We did it back in 2000 when we had a labour friendly council. I will not let that happen again. The citizens have a right to know where the waste is and they can elect a group that will work in their best interest to correct it.