By David F. Rooney
How do you take the measure of the men and women who may run for elected office during this autumn’s civic elections? That’s a question that concerned the Shuswap Columbia District Labour Council Sunday as it held a public forum to first identify the municipal issues local residents believe are important.
Infrastructure, supporting the city economy by buying locally, municipal taxation, fair wages and work conditions and the delivery of health services were among the top issues discussed.
“We really want to disc over what matters to our municipality,” said Labour Council President Michelle Cole. “We have to start thinking, in terms of these issues, about who’s going to speak up and run for office.”
While some people may think it’s too early to start thinking about municipal elections — they won’t be held until November — she said “we need to start putting it out there… summer is a great time to network and identify potential candidates.”
The Labour Council plans on quizzing Council and school board candidates to discover where they stand on a variety of issues. Those who are most in tune with the concerns expressed by local people may be endorsed by the Labour Council, which operates an umbrella group for a number of different unions, including the Revelstoke Teachers Association, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and others.
For more information please contact the Labour Council at scdlabourcouncil@gmail.com.
