Update (June 17, 2014): CUPE Local 1505 says the letter obtained by MyMcMurray was not “drafted by” nor “endorsed” by the union; however, our original story claims only that the letter was drafted as being from the union executive, not that it was delivered or endorsed. An audio recording also obtained by MyMcMurray confirms the version of events contained in the letter. CUPE did confirm the authenticity of the petition.
The city’s new Chief Administrative Officer is finding himself at odds with the Canadian Union of Public Employees over his reinstatement of a former employee.
Documents obtained by MyMcMurray.com show members of CUPE Local 1505 signed a petition stating that re-appointing Dennis Warr as the city’s Manager of Facilities Services would negatively impact their worksite.
The petition says Warr had a dictatorial and intimidating management style, and that morale and productivity had improved over the two weeks he was gone.
A letter drafted from CUPE and addressed to Mayor Melissa Blake claimed that Warr was terminated on May 1st, just after CAO Glen Laubenstein left his position.
On May 12th, new CAO Marcel Ulliac reportedly reinstated Warr, and addressed employees.
The letter to the Mayor claims that Ulliac referred to himself in that address as a “tough Alberta farm boy who is not afraid to get his hands dirty if he has to,” and informed employees that if they don’t “understand his words, that he could frame it stronger.”
It says Ulliac blamed others for reported problems in the Facilities Services department, though it doesn’t say what those problems were.
It also claims that one member walked out of the meeting, while another supervisor referred to the situation as “wrong”.
The letter says 95% of trades employees signed the petition regarding Warr’s re-instatement.
It closes by calling Ulliac’s comments “inflammatory, counterproductive, embarrassing, and just downright wrong.”
It’s unclear whether the letter was actually delivered to Blake, or whether it was only drafted.
The petition of employees says that if the city reintroduces Warr regardless, they “will not tolerate a poisonous work environment managed through fear, intimidation, and harassment.”
Petition signed by city employees:
Letter drafted to Mayor Blake:
