On February 29, 2024, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) Chief Administration Officer Henry Hunter sent an all-staff email announcing that the organization is considering alternative service delivery options to replace Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1505 (CUPE 1505) jobs.
In plain language, this means hiring contractors and the elimination of more than half of the “boots on the ground” unionized public service jobs at RMWB. The existing plan poses a threat to 459 unionized jobs and 40 exempt positions.
Decreased Service to the Public
The plan would also mean that the parks and playgrounds funded by residents would be maintained by unskilled third party labourers instead of certified technicians; the Wood Buffalo public would lose several of the dedicated mechanics who maintain our transit buses, snow plows, water trucks, and all other RMWB equipment; and taxpayers would lose garbage truck drivers, scale house attendants, and many other public service employees. These publicly funded jobs, along with public assets (equipment, workshops, offices, garbage and recycling facilities) would be handed over to private contractors.
Outside of the proposal to contract out, there are also a significant number of administrative positions the RMWB intends to eliminate altogether, without any clear plan to maintain service levels to the public.
Administrative jobs at risk include positions in Corporate Services, Community Services, Planning and Development and Regional Emergency Services. Elimination of these positions, with no plans to fill either internally or externally, will cause a significant reduction in service levels – and quality – with increasing negative effects on an already exhausted workforce. The RMWB is also contemplating the amalgamation of some of these positions, and appears to have already begun the process with cashier clerks and the Pulse line. This is already causing further stress on members and delays in service. If the proposals go ahead, these delays are expected to increase tenfold.
As per appendix J of the Collective Agreement with the CUPE 1505, the Union had 120 days to research and write a business case to keep jobs. Administration is supposed to provide the Union (on the day of the notice), with hard numbers in a business plan to justify the alternative services delivery plan. Instead, the RMWB provided vague, inflated numbers in an erroneous business case one week after they made their announcement to staff and to the media.
What’s Next?
On March 28, 2024, the RMWB agreed to withdraw the 120-day notice, on the agreement the Union will meet with the Employer to work collaboratively in addressing inefficiencies and unnecessary costs the Employer has identified.
The Union executive has created a form regarding efficiencies, savings and revenue ideas for RMWB staff and the public to voluntarily complete, to help the Union executive write the business case. The executive, along with volunteers, are also forming a working group that will assist in the Union’s business case. CUPE 1505 executive is confident there are many changes that can be implemented to reduce costs without axing and contracting out hundreds of jobs.
CUPE 1505 executive is also appealing to the public to email the CAO, Mayor and Council, to cancel their proposed plan, as it is completely unnecessary (there are several means to reduce costs without axing and contracting out hundreds of jobs).
The Union believes that the initially proposed alternative services delivery plan would do irreparable harm to the Wood Buffalo community. This proposal by the RMWB has caused anguish and despair on the RMWB employees, and created a mental health crisis in our region. Although the initial 120 day notice has been withdrawn, we still have a significant uphill battle to overcome, and we need to exhaust all avenues to ensure we protect the CUPE 1505 workforce. Although the CAO has advised that the withdrawal of the 120 day notice does not guarantee there will be no impact to jobs, the Union does not believe there is any need for a reduction in workforce, and increased efficiencies in the organization would address a significant amount of unnecessary expenditures to ensure fiscal sustainability.
Administration, Mayor and Council Could End This Tomorrow: Reach Out Today
CAO Hunter reports to the Mayor and Councillors.
Mayor and Council have the ability to end this entire ordeal tomorrow. Reach out, today, and urge them to do so. Remind them about the upcoming election season (2025).
Email CAO Henry Hunter:
cao@rmwb.ca
Email Mayor and Council:
Mayor Sandy Bowman
mayor@rmwb.ca
Ken Ball
ken.ball@rmwb.ca
Funky Banjoko
funky.banjoko@rmwb.ca
Lance Bussieres
lance.bussieres@rmwb.ca
Safiq Dogar
shafiq.dogar@rmwb.ca
Allan Grandison
Allan.Grandison@rmwb.ca
Keith McGrath
keith.mcgrath@rmwb.ca
Kendrick Cardinal
kendrick.cardinal@rmwb.ca
Loretta Waquan
loretta.waquan@rmwb.ca