Tina Martin can‘t understand why Penticton city council won‘t guarantee soon-to-be-laid-off community centre workers their jobs back when the facility reopens next year.
Martin, a mother of three young children, launched a petition campaign outside the community centre Monday, calling on the city to maintain the same “high quality staff, service and programs” once the community centre and pool upgrades are completed in the spring of 2011.
It also calls on council to ensure affordable prices for recreational programs, and to work with the public and the employees to ensure the community‘s needs are met.
She plans to present the petition to council members at the community centre on March 21, the last day it will be open prior to the start of the $23-million upgrade. The project includes a new family leisure pool, larger change rooms and various infrastructure upgrades to the entire building.
The city announced last month that 36 community centre staff members would be laid off for at least the next year. However, council has so far declined to reveal whether they will be rehired in 2011.
Martin said the response to her petition campaign was immediate, as she gathered more than 160 signatures during the first couple of hours.
She criticized council for not being transparent as to what its plans are for the facility and its staff. Council‘s silence on the issue has left many in the community wondering whether it plans to hire private-sector operators when the centre reopens next year.
“I know there is an emotional side to this and there is the business side to it. I think mayor and council need to take both into consideration,” she said.
“I think there‘s a wealth of knowledge here at the community centre with the staff that are here. It‘s my understanding that they‘re not being taken into consideration on any aspect as to how the new facility will be run.”
Martin worries that a private operator may be more concerned about the bottom line and not have any emotional attachment to the community centre and its programs.
Martin plans to keep her petition campaign going. However, with three young children, she couldn‘t guarantee she‘d be outside the community centre on a daily basis.
Mayor Dan Ashton declined detailed comment on the petition Monday, noting talks are continuing with the city‘s CUPE union.
Martin also talked to Coun. Dan Albas, who said he plans to join other council members on the 21st to accept the petition.
Albas said afterward that although he doesn‘t feel comfortable leaving the community centre workers in the dark, the issue must be further discussed by council.
“It never boils down to dollars and cents when we‘re talking about people,” he said. “However, to make smart decisions, we have to be informed and we actually have to have conversations.”
Last week, council laid off three management staff three days before the release of a core services review of city operations. It is not known whether further layoffs are coming.
