In the wake of city CAO Shari Lichterman terminating the employment of five city managers and one junior staff member last week, the union representing city employees wants a deeper dive.
Don’t just stick to management, they wrote in a statement provided to Sudbury.com on behalf of CUPE 4705 president Max Lafontaine.
He wants the terminations to be accompanied by “an investment in the workers who make a difference for Sudbury residents.”
Last week, five city managers and one junior staff member lost their jobs in a move Lichterman described as being “about change.”
“Sometimes in order to bring change to the organization you have to change personnel as well, and that’s really what this is,” Lichterman told Sudbury.com last week. “It’s kind of the final piece to allow the organization to move forward, to continue along this journey to improve how we deliver services to the community.”
The following is Lafontaine’s full statement:
“Recent high-profile terminations of senior leaders at the City of Greater Sudbury raise important questions about the priorities at city hall.
“Our focus as a union, as workers, and as community members has always been on what’s best for Sudbury residents. With management structures under review, now is the time for city hall to show that they share that focus by investing in services that people in Sudbury rely on while keeping good union jobs in our communities.
“CUPE 4705 members are the frontline workers who make this city a wonderful place to live, operating arenas, maintaining public spaces, providing transit, supporting emergency services, and delivering community programs. These are good, stable, union jobs that allow people to raise families in Sudbury.
“In recent years, we’ve seen city projects mismanaged while managers have gotten massive pay bumps. At the same time, the city is exploring outsourcing arena operations to American companies. This approach makes no sense. It will harm Sudbury workers, undermine families, and weaken our tax base.
“We hope these recent management changes are the start of an effort to rebalance things and are followed by an investment in the workers who make a difference for Sudbury residents.
“Public services are strongest when they are delivered by trained, experienced, municipal workers who are dedicated to the communities they live in. City council should take this moment to reset its focus, invest in frontline workers, protect public services, and keep Sudbury jobs strong.”