Mayor Bruce Banman refused to speak to striking Cascade Aerospace workers at Monday’s meeting of Abbotsford City Council.
According to Country 107.1, City Manager George Murray refused to put the Abbotsford workers on the agenda because Council has nor jurisdiction over their plight.
Cascade workers requests rebuffed by mayor
Country 107.1
[excerpt]
Plant chairperson Nathan Shier says workers are disappointed at the lack of support from elected leaders.
“Not one of the local politicians, Bruce Banman, Mike de Jong, Ed Fast, or Daryl Plecas has come out to see us. And tell us that they support good jobs in their community. So we thought we’d come down and see Bruce himself and the people that elect him, he should be able to come out here and talk with us.”
City manager George Murray says they were turned down because their strike is not something on which Council can make any decisions or have any influence.
[source]
Banman told Abbotsford Today this morning, “I did meet with the union in my office a few weeks ago, explained I could not take sides and offered to do what I could to help behind the scenes for them. They sent a letter asking council basically to take sides and we explained that we could not endorse their letter.
“Further; as they are under labour negotiations between the union and the company respectfully the city has no influence in these kinds of disputes.
“I am still waiting for a phone call from them to try to help get both sides together. My understanding is both sides are now back at the table. I did meet with the union, but have not been to the picket line. I am sure the union would be rightfully upset if the city were to take the company side of this and visa versa. The city is trying to be respectful of the bargaining process.
Unlike Patricia Ross’ defence of sharks; Simon Gibson’s discrimination against drug addicts; former Mayor George Peary’s ten-year contract with a private business; John Smith’s direction to the Abbotspord Police to fight homelessness in downtown Abbotsford, Council’s irrepressible desire to do the Ministry of Agriculture’s job by regulating blueberry cannons, or the entire attempt by the City to outlaw homelessness, the City of Abbotsford chose working people’s right to strike as the issue on which to make a stand and stop the City of Abbotsford’s decades long addiction to acting outside of its legal jurisdiction.
Edited 07/22/14 08:28
Edited 07/22/14 10:01
Lynn Perrin Says:
Once again Mayor Bruce Banman has not done his homework. The City of Abbotsford has given Cascade many advantages that others at the city owned and operated Abbotsford Airport have not been afforded – land on which to build / expand their operations in order to bid on contracts with the Canadian government the private sector and UFV. I assume that was to create good paying jobs for residents / taxpayers / voters of Abbotsford. What other reason could there been? Certainly not the for profit interest of a few ….or is it the same old same old …..?!?
From Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.archer.771/activity/819416991416487?comment_id=819621864729333&offset=0&total_comments=1
BC liberal government has also given $5 million towards jobs skills training in the aerospace sector in B.C….Cascade Aerospace, being one of the recipients to help build the aerospace industry in B.C.
Why is Banman even running for election again? As if he needed another nail in the coffin. This does not help his re-election campaign. Particularly in light of the fact that when he was first elected he praised Cascade Aerospace and its employees. In fact, I believe he told Today that as well.
With that being said, maybe there really isn’t anything he can do to influence the outcome of the strike but it would not hurt to simply meet with the employees to hear their side. As you can bet he already knows Cascade management’s side. Of note, is that Cascade Aerospace also hires Temporary Foreign Workers as seen in a TFWP database of participants published by Today about a month ago.
Rosemary Atsma Paul Says:
Out of 450 workers employed by Cascade at least 150 of them are long term residents of Abbotsford. They have lived and been homeowners and worked at Cascade 10-25 years average. With a yearly revenue to Abbotsford of approx. 1/2 million dollars yearly in property taxes.. Plus their patronage to local businesses ie: grocery stores, auto.dealers, hardware and home improvement and various other retailers. THESE ARE NOT TROUBLE MAKING RABBLE TO BE DISMISSED WITH A SIMPLE WASHING YOUR HANDS OF THE WHOLE THING, THESE ARE THE BACKBONE AND BREAD+BUTTER OF YOUR COMMUNITY
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