UPDATED - Union should repay tipping fees: taxpayers' association

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Jan 24, 2012- 12:16 PM

By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff

Updated at 12:11 p.m. with comments from United Steelworkers Local 6500

 

The Greater Sudbury Taxpayers' Association (GSTA) is calling on Steelworkers Local 6500 to repay almost $100,000 in landfill tipping fees that the city waived for the union in 2008.

After the Steelworkers Hall burned down, the union asked city council to waive the tipping fees associated with getting rid of rubble from the fire.

“At the time, senior city managers recommended against waiving the fees, saying it was unprecedented,” according to a press release from the taxpayers' association.
“But then, Mayor John Rodriguez — who has close ties with the Steelworkers — was successful in getting city councillors to vote against the staff recommendation, and the fees were waived.

The only two councillors who voted against (it) were Joe Cimino (Ward 1) and Andre Rivest (Ward 6).”

Now that Local 6500 has a new facility, which is being officially opened Jan. 26, the union should pay back the money, the press release said.

“We think it's great that the Steelworkers have this new facility to advance their workplace and political causes,” Greater Sudbury Taxpayers' Association Dan Melanson said, in the press release.

“Given the successes it is already having in booking events at the facility, even before the official opening, it would appear that it will be a significant source of revenue for 6500. The GSTA thinks the right thing to do now is to enter into a repayment plan with the City of Greater Sudbury.

“$100,000 is a lot of money, and could go a long way in helping the city at a time when it's facing increases in property taxes, water bills, hydro bills, and a deteriorating infrastructure.”

When asked if the union plans to pay back the waived tipping fee, Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand said he was not going to “get into a debate” about the matter.

“There was a democratic decision made three years ago,” he said. “The Steelworkers have donated a lot of money to this community, and we're going to continue that tradition with our new home.”

Posted by Arron Pickard  

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22 Comments

  • David_2 1/31/2012 3:59:37 PM - Report Abuse

    For years I have cleaning up the City's mess by keeping snow clear right to the curb in front of my house. I deserve a rebate on my proptery taxes.

    Make them pay the 100,000 that should have been paid right off the bat. I am tired of paying for everybody else!

  • FBuchan 1/26/2012 7:59:54 AM - Report Abuse

    I'm happy to report I paid my personal tipping fees when I fixed my roof in the fall. It's call responsibility and respect for my fellow taxpayers. I expect most of us have a touch of that.

    But those saying this issue is dead are correct. You can't undo a decision in council made more than 3 years ago. It would be a distraction, and the cads at city hall are already struggling to make decisions in the present, let alone review past errors in judgement.

    And, while I am ambivalent about unions per se, you can hardly blame the Steelworkers for asking. It's the council that failed to refuse it who bear all the blame for a bad decision.

  • brian_1 1/25/2012 9:04:39 AM - Report Abuse

    This really is a dead issue, not sure what exactly the point of bringing it up is. But also the argument that this union has done lots for this city so deserved a break really doesn't make much sense either, by that logic when I go to the dump this weekend with a trailer load of stuff I should have my fees waived because I am a good person who donates their time and gives to charity, something tells me thats not going to happen, nor should it.

    Lets just call this what it was old fashioned politics, the Steelworkers over the years have drummed up lots of cash and political support for many of the past and present councillors and mayors in this city and they went looking for some payback for that support and they got it, the kind of thing that happens in every level of politics all over the world every day. The trick isn't to complain about these shenanigans four years after the fact, its to see them coming and expose the politicians engaged in this behaviour at the time when its really going to make a difference.

  • Oh!Really! 1/25/2012 7:08:59 AM - Report Abuse

    The Jarrett Centre, Salvation Army, and SPCA do much for Sudbury. The Jarrett Centre are forever paying tipping fees for unsuitable clothing and furniture that citizens drop off at their boxes.

    The USW Hall was fully insured.
    Other charities in this City never pay off the election expenses of politicians. That is the difference.

  • spud2_1 1/24/2012 10:51:01 PM - Report Abuse

    I agree OP... equating the transit fascicle to this situation with j-rod and the usw is just.

  • overpaidunderworked 1/24/2012 10:44:13 PM - Report Abuse

    The Steelworkers have raised and donated more money to local groups over the years than we can count.Hey,if the city could let that con man get away with $800,000 at the bus terminal........im sure they can forgive $100,000 for Usw

  • north7_1 1/24/2012 10:29:03 PM - Report Abuse

    I think money should be repaid but wondering why our local papers are just reporting now 3.5 years later. The insurance company paid for it and USW pocketed it or send to States.

  • duhduhduh 1/24/2012 7:21:42 PM - Report Abuse

    The union doesn't have the money to pay the over burdened property tax payers of this city. They spend all that money on legal fees for PatrickVeinot thug and gang after they punched out a fellow union jogger in the southend after he crossed the foreign union strike line. As for Rick he is getting as big as Ferro, due to the huge food allowance given to union leaders on the backs of hard working miners.

  • northside 1/24/2012 6:51:14 PM - Report Abuse

    It would be a crime to NOT to waive the dumping fees.======= As I said before, that is what your American union paid insurance for, not to come after my tax money to subsidise your insurance company.========= USW and the Hall that burnt down have a long and storied history in this community,,,I would agree with your statement if you would have left the initials "USW" out of it. I see nothing about "storied" about USW, unless you are talking about violence and strikes, not only the last strike but going back to the early 60's..

  • RobertHood 1/24/2012 6:08:07 PM - Report Abuse

    I for one believe that when long standing community supporters get a break at time when tragedy strikes is the hounourable thing to do.

    USW and the Hall that burnt down have a long and storied history in this community. The members of the Hall have continually supported this community with their generosity and selflessness.

    Countless parents, brothers, sisters and children have made memories of life through the old Hall with weddings, anniversaries and Christmas parties.

    The Steel Hall was an icon of this community and was a symbol of building better lives through solidarity, caring and generosity.

    It would be a crime to NOT to waive the dumping fees.

    How dare this "association" try and be demeaning to this historic Hall and those that made it what it was, a shining symbol of community!

  • Rocket Science 1/24/2012 6:04:43 PM - Report Abuse

    "Dredging up an issue from three and a half years ago? "
    This is timed to correspond to the grand opening of the new hall. The purpose? Some bitter people out there. What do they have to be bitter about? Yah got me. Physics I get. Psychology? Not so much.

  • RobertHood 1/24/2012 6:00:18 PM - Report Abuse

    Council voted and approved the Waiver. The time for debating the issue is long over.

    This so called association has no business determining if the already made decisions of our Council are sound or not and try to reverse those "they" disagree with.

    This so called association can certainly have it's place but in a forum which is designed to generate debate prior to Council decisions and votes.

    Ever hear of too little too late? Next time be on time!!

  • RobertHood 1/24/2012 5:56:02 PM - Report Abuse

    How can this "Association" even use the "Greater Sudbury" designation? Council should demand this "association", paid members only, to remove "greater Sudbury" from their name.

    "Greater Sudbury" should be reserved for official City organizations only.

    This association is not part of the City and in my opinion does not represent any Citizen excepting the paid members.

    Some people believe this association to actually be a part of the City in an official capacity. That's what the name implies and that must be changed.

  • Steve May 1/24/2012 4:53:59 PM - Report Abuse

    Dredging up an issue from three and a half years ago? What's the real purpose here, what game is being played? Looks to me like just another anti-union diatribe by neo-liberals in our community who, btw, on this issue, don't seem to have a lot of respect for our local democratic processes. Although the GSTA acknowledges that tipping fees were waived through a vote of Council, why that's not now important is interesting. Of course, they're starting to play a longer game here, having already identified 8 current councillors ripe for retirement in 2014.

  • northside 1/24/2012 4:28:28 PM - Report Abuse

    . Steel should have never had to have gone hat in hand to city council for help=====Did they or was it the good will of JRod, Dupuis and others on council?

  • northside 1/24/2012 4:26:21 PM - Report Abuse

    That union hall had insurance so there was no reason to be giving them out tax dollars to clean that mess up any more than giving me a break on cleaning up my mess if my home burned down. This union, especially Bertrand should do what is right and repay us. Just because that union lackie, our former mayor, and some other union lovers on council, did this does not make it right....

  • UnionWoman 1/24/2012 3:59:33 PM - Report Abuse

    If memory serves me, the Steelworkers did not set fire to their own hall, nor was it an accident. It was the work of teenaged arsonists. How soon some people forget that. Steel should have never had to have gone hat in hand to city council for help. Rather than going after Steel to repay the fees, perhaps taxpayers and Steel should be going after the little miscreants and their parents to pay the fees. That sounds like the proper kind of justice to me, and just maybe it would be a deterrent to others.

  • spud2_1 1/24/2012 2:35:45 PM - Report Abuse

    yeah, but I would like to see a few more go and make it a real bargain

  • newsudberry 1/24/2012 1:27:47 PM - Report Abuse

    the union puppet got voted out; that was worth the 100G

  • spud2_1 1/24/2012 1:05:01 PM - Report Abuse

    he dont debate...he cant collective bargain...get ready 6500 members your going back on shift work...work 5 years off for 1

  • Harry 1/24/2012 12:56:16 PM - Report Abuse

    "he was not going to “get into a debate” about the matter." ... typical union mentality.

    We the people should simply demand that this money be paid back.

    This goes beyond immoral. This should be illegal. Not one penny of our tax dollars should be going to support any union.

  • IM4betternews 1/24/2012 12:41:40 PM - Report Abuse

    Don't hold your breath !!!! With 6500 throwbacks like Dupuis on Council, the city haan't a chance in h___ of recouping this money !!!!
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