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CHILLIWACK, British Columbia — Chilliwack’s mayor and council will vote immediately on a advice to contract out the operations of the Metropolis’s neighborhood swimming pools, together with Chilliwack Touchdown Leisure Centre, Cheam Leisure Centre, and the Rotary outside pool. The services have been operated by exterior contractor Rec Excellence, and the Metropolis was contemplating inside operations because the contract time period was set to run out.
“So many individuals throughout our neighborhood had been excited that the Metropolis was contemplating working these services immediately, so this can be a massive letdown,” stated CUPE 458 President Darlene Worthylake, who represents Metropolis of Chilliwack staff. “We predict persevering with to contract out these services is the improper path for our neighborhood.” The Metropolis’s motivation for contracting out aquatic companies is revealed of their evaluation performed earlier this 12 months. Among the many “advantages” quoted had been preserving prices to the Metropolis low, minimizing staffing obligations, limiting the Metropolis’s legal responsibility, and slowing progress of companies and alternatives.
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“These priorities don’t have anything to do with supporting residents and the companies they rely upon,” stated Worthylake, herself a resident of the neighborhood and person of recreation services. “The customers of those companies–our households, children and seniors–can pay the value of getting our swimming pools regularly contracted out,” she added.
The Metropolis’s personal paperwork affirm the downsides of the proposed mannequin. The Parks, Recreation and Tradition Grasp Plan outlines that underneath a contracted-out mannequin, the Metropolis has no direct management to match companies to the wants in the neighborhood, and there’s no accountability for points corresponding to availability of swimming classes, reserving of lanes, and even the timing of public swim periods.
The Metropolis doc additionally said that contracting out means restricted monetary oversight, with taxpayer {dollars} handed over to exterior operators by service agreements. The Metropolis’s paperwork additionally establish that contracting out means that there’s restricted capacity to manage high quality with few means to evaluate and proper ineffective operations fashions towards the objectives outlined for every facility and deal with destructive experiences of neighborhood members in search of companies.
“Group members deserve protected, clear, accessible, and well-run aquatic recreation companies,” stated Worthylake. For years we have now had our swimming pools contracted out to exterior operators whose main concentrate on their backside line on the expense and frustration of the neighborhood.”
The Union has referred to as on Chilliwack’s Council to defer voting on a brand new contract till all info is accessible and the neighborhood has an opportunity to supply enter.
CUPE 458 represents over 500 municipal staff within the District of Kent, District of Hope, Hope Recreation, Fraser Valley Regional District, Cultus Lake Parks Board, Metropolis of Chilliwack, and the Village of Harrison Sizzling Springs.
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Contacts
Jessica Orcutt
CUPE Nationwide Communications Consultant
250.327.4191
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