RE: CUPE ‘behind the scenes’
As president of CUPE Local 774, which represents Abbotsford’s municipal workers, I take exception to your story implying that CUPE has been operating “behind the scenes” of this P3 water referendum campaign.
We joined Water Watch Mission-Abbotsford months ago after it was launched by a group of Abbotsford and Mission residents. We joined the Water Watch contingent at the Abbotsford Canada Day Parade on July 1 – with our CUPE flags flying high.
Local CUPE members have been at virtually all the events on this issue in the past five months. We have joined co-workers and neighbours to organize community information events, and contributed financially to the Water Watch campaign when asked. I personally have spoken at several events which the press has consistently refused to cover.
As municipal workers we put the public first and in this case that means keeping our drinking water public. Just look around the world where this type of P3 project has been tried. It would give up control of our water distribution to a foreign consortium for the next 30 years.
We are opposed to this P3 project because the motive is private profit. Our motive is to serve our community with transparency, responsibility and safety first.
Our members include the highly qualified Water Treatment Operators at the Norrish Creek Water Treatment Plant which supplies the bulk of Abbotsford’s daily water and our community has never had a boil-water advisory.
We know what is involved in ensuring clean, safe drinking water for all and want to keep the system transparent and accountable to the public through continued public operation.
Murray Jones
President CUPE 774