Courtesy CUPE Local 51
The vote was close but Moncton City Council has chosen to extend an agreement with a private contractor for waste collection in the city.
Waste collection jobs are not glamorous and city engineer Jack MacDonald says vacancies are frequent as employees opt to move into other positions within the city.
But the union representing city employees is worried this is a slippery slope.
CUPE spokesperson Marcos Salib says the union has been trying to find a solution to the profession’s high injury rates.
“But as soon as that started – this has been a process that has been ongoing for two or three years approximately – the only suggestions that we’ve always heard was to contract out, contract out, contract out,” he repeated.
The union is suggesting the city should start using wheeled trash bins which are safer since a mechanical arm on the truck replaces manual lifting.
The City of Moncton recorded 537 lost work days due to injuries in 2017 – a number which has been climbing in recent years.
Under the temporary agreement, FERO Waste and Recycling has already been picking up trash in one city collection zone and if needed will now do so in the city’s other six collection zones.
The council vote was 6 to 4 in favour of the agreement with Councillors Paul Pellerin, Shawn Crossman, Brian Hicks and Paulette Theriault voting against it.
Contractors have already been collecting waste in Dieppe and Riverview for a number of years now.
