Isn’t it time for them to actually get ourt there and EARN that pay check… only seen two sidewalk plows over the last two days….road untouched, ndmore snow on the way, and rain by weekend…. we who drive small cars will be in ruts up to our dors….AGAIN…

THANK YOU CITY OF PG FOR YOUR BUDGET CUTS…

I am sure the roads will be spiffy clean next year though…won’t they Shari! How are the roads around your home? Clean you say?

Don’t you know they’re saving the budget for the winter games. Next year I bet our roads will be the best they ever have!!!!

The latest poll is too vague as usual. How much priority is snow removal to you? That would solely depend on what area you are talking about. In my residential area it may not be a huge priority because I have a 4×4, so I would say medium, but downtown and the main arteries in town I would say it is high because of the traffic volume, pedestrians, etc.

At the very least have an “other” choice if you don’t agree with the options and then a comment section where you can explain the “other”. That may make your polls a tad more accurate.

My next vote goes to, MICKEY MOUSE!! Cant do any worse than the cartoon characters we have now..

We are all quite aware they’ve been talking wage rises. However to see the nitty-gritty of their contract would be of more interest to us taxpayers…such as the manning clauses, the wording of no contracting out for maintenance (and the definitions), travel time, coffee breaks etc.
It is quitter apparent to some that there is an extreme amount of payroll for make-work schemes and just sitting around…
Hey Ben, how about posting some of the contract clauses…

Do they have to have 4 consecutive hours off work to make their decision?

We are all quite aware they’ve been talking wage rises. However to see the nitty-gritty of their contract would be of more interest to us taxpayers…such as the manning clauses, the wording of no contracting out for maintenance (and the definitions), travel time, coffee breaks etc.
It is quitter apparent to some that there is an extreme amount of payroll for make-work schemes and just sitting around…
Hey Ben, how about posting some of the contract clauses…

“Council will be convened in a closed session to give its final stamp of approval.”

Why on earth do they do this in closed session. I realize this is one of the issues they can have a closed session for, but they do not have to have it as a closed session.

I want to hear the discussion, if any, on the matter.

In fact, why do they not simply cast a ballot, the same as the union members do?

;-)

We are all quite aware they’ve been talking wage rises. However to see the nitty-gritty of their contract would be of more interest to us taxpayers…such as the manning clauses, the wording of no contracting out for maintenance (and the definitions), travel time, coffee breaks etc.
It is quitter apparent to some that there is an extreme amount of payroll for make-work schemes and just sitting around…
Hey Ben, how about posting some of the contract clauses…

I wonder if they were able to achieve what they did in Penticton, grandfather current workers in at the old rates and reduce the wage rates for new employees.

The grandfathered labourer rate was $23.26 while the new employees at get hired at $18.18.

Here is the old one.

http://www.lrb.bc.ca/cas/WUG28.pdf

You can find all the agreements in BC here:

http://www.lrb.bc.ca/cas

I do hope they vote against this offer…as for our one term wonder..sg….she gotta go..

My guess is that they will settle. 0-0-2-3 plus some kind of a signing bonus. This gets them through the election this year, and the Winter Games.

Will they keep the **no layoff** sidebar??

What about contracting out??

An article in to-days Citizen, states that the cost of hiring a labour lawyer will not be made public. This information is protected by solicitor-client privilege.

The City does have to disclose the total amount paid to the lawyers firm Harris & Co. in its annual Statement of Financial Information, released every spring, if the amount is more than $25000.00. That figure, however, would include all work done by any of Harris & Co’s 37 attorneys over the last year, not specifically for Wills’s work with bargaining.

So keep your eye open this spring if you want to see what the labour lawyer costs were.

Here is a site that they seem to migrating to for newer contracts. Likely where the new cupe contract will be posted if it is ratified.

http://www.bcbargaining.ca/

My understanding of solicitor – client privilege is that the lawyer can’t disclose any information relayed to him/her by the client. This is for protection of the client’s rights. Am I incorrect in this assumption? If I’m not, then as the client the city can disclose whatever information it wants to the general public. The tax-paying public should have the right to know how much money the city spends on any given issue.

The following is from the Canadian Bar Associations website. FAQs
http://www.cba.org/cba/activities/PDF/Privilege%20FAQ%20Eng%20-%20final.pdf

“1. What are the exceptions to Solicitor-Client Privilege and the Duty of Confidentiality?
Your ethical duty of confidentiality extends to all information you learn during the course of a retainer from whatever source, whether or not the information is confidential.
The duty of confidentiality is governed by your Law Society’s Code of Conduct and by the common law of fiduciary duty. In Quebec, a duty of professional secrecy also exists under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and other applicable legislation.3
In contrast to the duty of confidentiality, solicitor-client privilege only applies to communications between a lawyer and client for the purpose of legal advice. It is governed by the common law.
1 Canadian Bar Association, Code of Professional Conduct 2009, Chapter IV.
2 Ibid, commentary 2.
3 In Quebec, regulations such as the Regulation respecting accounting and standards of professional practice of advocates apply, in addition to the Code of Ethics of Advocates.
Page 5
In both cases, clients can consent to the disclosure of the information and, in certain circumstances, they may be found to have waived confidentiality or solicitor-client privilege.”

The last paragraph says the client (in this case the city) can consent to disclosure of confidential information. So what’s the cost of the labour lawyer?

I believe that Gruntled has it right.

Seems the City refused to give out the information (Freedom of Info) based on a Supreme Court Ruling regarding Solicitor-Client privilege, however they failed to mention that they could have released it if they chose to.

Soooo. Looks like we are being **Stonewalled**. Seems rather a waste of time considering that this information has to come out later this spring.

You are both correct based on my experience.

The information that is made available to the client in a proposal of scope and fees as well as methodology, etc. of the work product being offered is privileged because it is proprietary. It is a “trade secret” which could be used by competitors since it contains details.

However, the total fee for service on a specific project is not privileged. In fact, in my view, it should be incumbent on a public body such as a municipality to advise its citizens who pay the taxes of what the total cost is.

So, going back to the KPMG core services, the City should also make us aware of what the total cost for that is.

So, as you wrote Gruntled, what is the cost of the legal services associated with the union negotiations, the Core Services Review and anything else you have not divulged for 2013?

well none of the main roads have been cleaned… but little Horsefly is done… 9 houses here….wonder who lives here with connections?

BTW, at one time this city was opening up the total proposal packages from architects, engineers and any other similar consultants in public and provided the information to the “public”.

There was a huge complaint at the time when that was starting to happen. The proposals showed staffing, charge out rates, number of hours each was scheduled to work on he project, methodology of project work, schedules, sub consultants, payment methods, reductions/increases for changes, etc.

In effect, all the competitors got to see each others privileged proposals which was usable for future bidding on projects.

Good reasons behind many of the complaints here, person’s running and being elected to public office, obviously need to have a thick skins.

Still, I just wish when these people get elected, they listen to the concerns and wishes of the people / citizens of this city and not just industry and business.

They listen to those who elected them which isn’t the voters per se it’s the people, businesses etc. who donated to their campaign. Money isn’t usually given out without strings attached.

“So, going back to the KPMG core services, the City should also make us aware of what the total cost for that is”

That one should be a no-brainer, at least when it comes to the Solicitor Client Privilege argument. Accountants are not covered.

Joint press release, or individual City Hall and CUPE press releases, is when the terms and conditions of the agreement will be disclosed to the public.

Patience people.

Wow I just went out to shovel snow and discovered the road was plowed! It only had about 10 inches of snow so this was a great surprise! Garbage day was yesterday so that wasn’t why – and they haven’t followed that schedule for a couple of years anyway on my road. Has the city hired more equipment? Work-to-rule over? Don’t know why but I like it. Please keep it up!

bcracer- “but little Horsefly is done…9 houses here…wonder who lives here with connections?”

I’m just curious, were the neighbouring streets done, or was it just Horsefly that was “cleaned” ? (plowed ?)

We got plowed last nite. Third time this year. Not garbage day until Monday.

I guess we have a settled strike, and of course the new budget money, so things should pick up.

Palopu….that kind of falls in line with my question for bcracer. You say 3 times this season on your street, maybe bcracer could give us a number for Horsefly.