SOUND OFF: Collins off base by dismissing City of Kamloops staff safety concerns
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IN RESPONSE TO Doug Collins’ column on April 28, I believe he has missed the mark. A study from two years ago by Western University, the University of Toronto and the Canadian Labour Congress found that 71.4 per cent of workers had experienced at least one form of harassment or abuse in the workplace. Being bullied by a coworker or manager is one thing, but being bullied by an elected official is another. Perhaps that’s why the BC government passed the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act 2021.
As lawyers from Clark Wilson LLP in Vancouver describe, municipalities in the province must decide whether to enact a “code of conduct” for council members within six months of a local election. The Principles for Codes of Conduct Regulation requires that council members carry out their duties with integrity, be accountable for their decisions, be respectful of others and demonstrate leadership and collaboration.
The passage of this act and regulations suggests there has been a problem in this province regarding bullying and harassment from elected officials toward the people they work with, and this was the solution. It’s not normal for people to hear grown men scream at each other and slam desks in a workplace. Perhaps it was in the 1970s, in Doug’s heyday, but in the 21st Century, it isn’t.
I found Doug’s comparison of city staff to inmates in a prison interesting, as it immediately puts them in a negative light. He says he’s not opposed to “supposed” security audits but then says, “normally you would direct that security toward those coming to visit the facility, not at your own people.”
