WINNIPEG, MB. - "Can we not be honest about why taxpayers continue to pay for a union presidents salary," said City Councillor Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood).
It has been a sore point with residents for years. Some current members of the City Council vowed to eliminate it. It was a significant election item in 2014 and again in 2018. Yet, you are still paying the salary of the union president for the UFFW.
In a recent Winnipeg Free Press article, the current leader of the Executive Policy Committee (EPC) said, "I think it's ridiculous. To have a union leader's union activities and salary paid for by taxpayers is, to me, offensive as a taxpayer. I wish that deal wasn't struck by the previous (city) administration, but we're trying to do our best to remedy that," said Mayor Bowman in the Winnipeg Free Press story.
"That's not right," said Kevin Klein when asked to comment on the topic. "No one is to blame but members of the City Council. We are accountable to residents for all decisions. You also can't blame the union because it's their job is to negotiate the best agreement possible. Just as it's our job to negotiate the best deal for you. The administration and leadership could have said no and made alternative offers last time. The real question is, why didn't they?"
Klein lists this issue with collective bargaining as another fundamental change that we must address sooner rather than later, but it would appear many on the council are not prepared to tackle the real issues today.