25 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

Volunteers have been temporarily shut out of all City of Victoria parks.

The city parks department sent an email to volunteers Nov. 21 saying all volunteer activities, including regular work parties, have been put on hold due to differences between CUPE Local 50 and the parks department over the role of unpaid helpers.

The email also told volunteers that a work party to plant bulbs on the Ryan Street greenway in Oaklands the following morning had to be cancelled.

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.B1fVoL9r.dpuf

 

This is the kind of crap our city can really do without.

[spanky123]

This is the kind of crap our city can really do without.

I like Ms. Helps' response.

[VicHockeyFan]

Volunteers have been temporarily shut out of all City of Victoria parks.

 

The city parks department sent an email to volunteers Nov. 21 saying all volunteer activities, including regular work parties, have been put on hold due to differences between CUPE Local 50 and the parks department over the role of unpaid helpers.

 

The email also told volunteers that a work party to plant bulbs on the Ryan Street greenway in Oaklands the following morning had to be cancelled.

 

However, John Burrows, president of CUPE Local 50, said the city made the decision to cancel the work party.

“This is not our decision. This is nothing to do with us,” Burrows said.

 

“We have no issue. Let me be clear. I don’t know where this all started.”

 

In a follow-up email to volunteers, Julie MacDougall, acting director of parks and recreation, said the issue of volunteering in city parks was raised by unionized staff in collective bargaining this summer.

 

“As a result, the city and CUPE Local 50 are in discussions to clarify how and when volunteers are being used in city parks — to ensure role clarity and shared expectation.”

 

Burrows confirmed the volunteer issue was discussed. “It is now in the labour-management forum,” he said, declining to comment further.

 

 

MacDougall said she was optimistic the situation would be resolved before the new year.

 

Mayor-elect Lisa Helps said she became aware of the dispute about a week ago, and wants to see a process in place to ensure similar issues don’t arise in future.

 

Citizen initiatives are important, said Helps, who is not sure how long it will take to settle the impasse.

 

“I hope we don’t have a worst-case scenario and I hope we can honour the efforts of our citizens and volunteers at the same time as respecting the collective bargaining that took place,” said Helps. “The fact that people are sitting at the table, wanting to work it out, I think is awesome.”

 

 

OK, Burrows says it was not their decision to stop the current work.  Then he declines further comment.

 

MacDougall says she hopes it gets fixed this year.

 

Helps has no idea how long it'll take.

 

 

Who's in charge here?

 

 

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...r.jkPqRk6F.dpuf

[G-Man]

Who cares? It is volunteer work. Just go ahead and do it. They are our parks. What are they going to do arrest them for gardening? Place a huge fine on the organization that likely gets a funding subsidy from the city? Also does this include the needle brigade in downtown parks because I doubt the Parks staff want to clean that up.

[VicHockeyFan]

Who cares? It is volunteer work. Just go ahead and do it. They are our parks. What are they going to do arrest them for gardening? Place a huge fine on the organization that likely gets a funding subsidy from the city? Also does this include the needle brigade in downtown parks because I doubt the Parks staff want to clean that up.

 

I think they might have been relying on City trucks to deliver materials.

[G-Man]

That is the only thing that could make sense. I might go pick up some garbage in Franklin Green today and send a picture to the Mayor and Cupe president. What a silly thing.

[Coreyburger]

The volunteers that the CRD uses for various functions are covered under CRD liability insurance, so "just doing it" is bad. And yes, supplies are likely delivered from the city.

[VicHockeyFan]

The volunteers that the CRD uses for various functions are covered under CRD liability insurance, so "just doing it" is bad. And yes, supplies are likely delivered from the city.

 

Oh, for Gods sake, who cares about insurance.  What are you going to get gardening in a park any worse than doing a chore at home?  Stuff happens.

[G-Man]

Most societies are required to carry insurance already for volunteers.

[Mike K.]

We're living in a brave new world, folks.

 

And stuff like this is what makes it suck.

[Coreyburger]

Oh, for Gods sake, who cares about insurance.  What are you going to get gardening in a park any worse than doing a chore at home?  Stuff happens.

 

Insurance covers volunteers if they get hurt by somebody while volunteering (like say, somebody hits them with their car).

[VicHockeyFan]

Insurance covers volunteers if they get hurt by somebody while volunteering (like say, somebody hits them with their car).

 

If somebody hits me with their car, no matter what I'm doing, if it's their fault, ICBC is going to cover me (if they are insured).  I need a better example.  What else can happen while I'm gardening?

[Mr Cook Street]

If somebody hits me with their car, no matter what I'm doing, if it's their fault, ICBC is going to cover me (if they are insured).  I need a better example.  What else can happen while I'm gardening?

It would be easy for a volunteer to find an excuse to sue. Regardless of how silly it is, the city needs to protect itself.

[Benezet]

As I understand it, the CRD has a general liability policy that covers all volunteers. It's not specific to any particular activity and risks pertaining thereto. Many agencies utilizing volunteers have such policies.

[Coreyburger]

As I understand it, the CRD has a general liability policy that covers all volunteers. It's not specific to any particular activity and risks pertaining thereto. Many agencies utilizing volunteers have such policies.

 

Yes, it also acts as "workers insurance" as volunteers aren't covered under WCB rules.

[29er Radio]

I would suggest this is more about protecting union jobs than an insurance issue. If there are people out there prepared to do what you do for less, then you got to wonder how long you will be allowed to charge more for your services. I don't think this is a logical argument, but I can imagine, if my job was to protect my members jobs and wages I would see volunteers as undermining that.

[G-Man]

I would really like to know if this applies to the needle brigade. That in my mind is an essential service.

[Rob Randall]

There's probably special permission for the needle brigade. Likely the union doesn't mind as much as it's a duty more comprehensive than what City workers normally do. What gets the union in an uproar is volunteers doing stuff staff are already doing. And if the union funded someone's election campaign -- guess what half of the councillors are going to think about this issue.

[Bingo]

I suppose volunteering is a way for a charity to keep their heads above water and cut expenses. But if gardeners went around volunteering to cut lawns and rake leaves for free, then soon you might have the people doing gardening out of the back of their truck for a living, complaining. Many people who are volunteers are retired and have an income from investments so they don't need or want a paid job. I wonder how many of the volunteers in this story are retired seniors?

[Benezet]

I would suggest this is more about protecting union jobs than an insurance issue...

And I would suggest this is about an interim middle-manager who's looking to earn brownie points with the brand-new Mayor by making some anti-Union hay over an issue that is routinely discussed during every round of bargaining - in this case, several months ago. But, just like you, I have almost nothing to go on, so it's not a very meaningful thing to say.