Re: Aug. 20 edition of The NEWS and ads placed by both the union (A17) and the town (A12).
Both items made for interesting and informative reading, and having read them confirms in our minds just why we keep re-electing Mayor Teunis Westbroek and why we elected new council members.
They are attempting to do whatever it takes to maintain fiscal responsibility and avoid imposing more taxes on its citizens.
We thank them for this and also for the excellent job the non-union staff are doing to keep our town clean and safe while this settlement is being negotiated.
As for the CUPE workers, it looks to me like you have already been treated very fairly since 2010.
If you check out the Government of Canada website on average expected wages for municipal workers/labourers by region, you will see that the Lower Mainland area gets around $15/hour on the low end, to $29/hour on the high end.
I find it hard to believe that collecting garbage or maintaining the flower beds in Qualicum Beach comes anywhere near to what’s called for working in a place like Surrey or Vancouver.
Yes, you do a fine job. We often comment to spouse and friends how beautifully things are kept in our town. The flowerbeds are spectacular, the public washrooms spotless, etc.
It is apparent that you are very conscientious in the work that you do. However, it is still only manual labour, not rocket science.
We would all like to see substantial increases to our incomes, whether it be an hourly wage, a monthly salary, or Old Age Pension, but alas, we must live in reality. And the reality is no one gets more just because they think they should have more.
We all have to live on a budget, populace and municipality alike, and when there’s no more money, we have to make do with a little less.
As requested in CUPE’s ad, we are letting our mayor and council know that we support a fair deal, and in our opinion, Qualicum Beach municipal workers have been offered more than a fair deal.
Ron and Lesley WinterQualicum Beach
