To the editor:
Some 140,000 British Columbians have said “no” to smart meters.
Partly due to the opposition, BC Hydro was recently forced to announce it is allowing its contractor, Corix, another year to complete the final installations.
BC Hydro customers, whether they’ve had the meters installed or not, are left to wonder how much this delay will add to the cost of the project, already estimated at more than $1 billion.
We already know the program has a human cost. Starting in mid-December, your local meter readers started receiving layoff notices, despite a past promise from the energy minister on CKNW that they would attempt to re-train the almost 400 workers.
Energy Minister Rich Coleman and Premier Christy Clark still refuse to meet with COPE 378 as the union representing the meter readers.
These are family and community-supporting jobs and it’s shameful to see the government leave so many people behind during this change.
Gwenne Farrell, vice-president
Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union local 378
