Ward 11 Greater Sudbury city council candidate Kevin Lalonde praises the work of front-line city workers, adding that their ideas should be listened to.
“Their opinions should be what makes it to council chambers,” he said in a letter to Sudbury.com. “Incentive programs in many corporations tap this resource for its own benefit all the time, why shouldn't we?”
He also praises more senior levels of city staff. “Our engineers and professionals are some of the best qualified people in the province,” Lalonde said. “I personally am glad we have them all.”
In his letter, Lalonde also said he thinks more technology needs to be incorporated by the city, specifically the pothole machine recently mentioned by mayoral candidate Dan Melanson.
https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/mayoral-race-better-materials-would-help-solve-citys-pothole-problem-melanson-says-1050588
He said this machine is cheaper to operate than it would be for a three or four-man crew to do the same job, and would pay for itself.
“This type of investment is practical and unions need not fear jobs being lost,” Lalonde said. “Manpower would simply be reallocated to enhance better service elsewhere.”
Find the full text of Lalonde's letter below:
It amazes me on a daily basis not during just campaign season how much city staff are scrutinized for not being competent or not doing a good enough job. In a city corporation there are a lot of hats to wear to make it efficient.
Could it be made more efficient? Sure, but that doesn't mean everyone that works for the city isn't doing the best job they can.
Are there a few toads in the barrel an HR department should be looking to pick out? Sure, in every corporation employing as many as we do I am sure there are. But for the most part, we have some of the greatest people doing their best for us.
Foremost is the operations labor force. Without these front-line on the streets work force, our city grinds to a halt. Mechanics, treatment plant workers, landscapers, road crews, bus drivers, snow plow drivers, construction crews and many more.
This is a resource like none other. This is a resource that needs to be tapped and maintained. These men and women take a lot of pride in their work like so many of us and are probably the first place we should look to when looking for efficiencies.
Their opinions should be what makes it to council chambers. Incentive programs in many corporations tap this resource for its own benefit all the time, why shouldn't we?
If it costs us a gift card to the Keg, Blue Jays tickets even cash in exchange for our front line workers to get involved and expressing efficiencies.
I think right now a lot of these good ideas could be never reaching the higher levels of staff to make there way in front of council for adoption or approval. Incentive programs would insure ideas are heard.
Maintaining our workforce is paramount and that means investing in it. We can incorporate technology into our work force without the fear of mass layoffs.
Recently Dan Melanson had an article on pothole repair where he referenced a pothole repair vehicle. Pricey but they do pay themselves off. Roughly 60-70/hr in operation costs for a single person to operate it's cheaper in wages, payroll deductions, union benefits, EI and CPP payments than for a three or four man crew to do the same job.
This type of investment is practical and unions need not fear jobs being lost. Manpower would simply be reallocated to enhance better service elsewhere.
Reminiscent of the days of shoveling hay out of the back of a horse drawn wagon.
The days of three men working in the direct environmental elements behind a truck in the middle of traffic shoveling cold patch just alone for safety reasons should be eliminated in favor of improved city tech.
Our front-line workers are the resource we need to protect and encourage within the city. Our upper senior members of staff, our engineers and professionals are some of the best qualified people in the province. I personally am glad we have them all.
Although they all face some harsh criticism at times, more so at election time. I think you are all doing a great job. And for me it doesn't go unnoticed.
