CUPE Nova Scotia says Halifax Water should come clean on its security costs

TRURO, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - June 3, 2015) - The president of CUPE Nova Scotia, Danny Cavanagh, says it's time for Halifax Water to be open and accountable on exactly how much it's paying for its hired security firm from Ontario.

Cavanagh says, "First of all, it's shameful that this employer felt the need to hire AFIMAC Canada to monitor the strike activity of their very own employees, but they have already admitted to paying the company $28,000 a day for their services. This from a utility that is pleading poverty as the reason for its attack on workers' pensions.

"We also know that during a two-week faculty strike at the University of New Brunswick just last year - a workplace with one location - UNB paid AFIMAC $203,000 for their services," says Cavanagh.

The union says other questions that should be of great concern to Halifax Water ratepayers include -does the $28,000 figure simply represent wages, or does ìt also include the cost of rental vehicles, hotel bills to put an estimated 25 people up when not working, and the cost of their meals?

Says Cavanagh, "With a management ratio of one manager for every three workers, they shouldn't have any problem finding a manager to add all of these costs up."

Cavanagh says he does not understand Halifax Water's logic. "When these employees are working and have access to the infrastructure, there is no security in place. Now when their key cards are revoked and they do not have access, they are being treated like criminals," he says.