Letter: Council discouraging

To the editor:

Firefighters want pay to equal Thunder Bay police officers according to Eric Nordlund, president of Thunder Bay Professional Firefighters Association. I just find it very discouraging to see how our local firefighters have been treated by this mayor and council.

In 1984, CUPE Local 87 had a strike and city council voted to bring in strikebreakers to pick up the garbage. In my opinion, this kind of thinking is still there.

I’ve been at the bargaining table many times and on the first item city negotiators would say ‘Our hands are tied as to how far we can go regardless if the union can justify it.’

I say to Coun. Ruberto attend negotiating meetings and I’m sure you’ll be very frustrated as the unions are with the manner the city handles negotiations.

Coun. Tuchenhagen some weeks ago state in the newspaper city council has paid out millions of dollars in claims. I guess city council is not only bad at negotiating with the unions.
Maybe it’s time for a change of council.

J. Pearce,
Thunder Bay