Edmonton Journal 
Wednesday's letters: Goal of privatizing public services is profit

Why does the city again choose one of the lowest-paid groups of employees to privatize and present this decision as if this will improve efficiencies, save us money and then scare us with otherwise having to raise property taxes. This is hokum and we are tired of it. The most current similar rationale was the aides in long-term care facilities and we still are dealing with that disastrous management decision.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal Harjas Grewal with Bee-Clean sanitizes the high touch surfaces in a Calgary Transit bus. The City of Edmonton is also looking at options to privatize bus cleaning which could lead to layoffs of more than 100 employees.

Bus cleaners and elder-care aides need secure jobs with benefits just like everyone else and working for government or city is a promise of that. We all know privatizing means profit is the primary goal, that owners and investors get a good return by downgrading working conditions and cutting pay and benefits to workers is the way they do it.


We need some journalist to focus on investigating and exposing this practice and what it means to our society going forward.

Connie Kenney, Edmonton

Contracting out costs more in the end

Let us not save a few dollars by contracting out city bus-cleaning jobs. These city positions provide a low but decent wage, benefits and job safety to people with disabilities and new Canadians. Since cleaning will still have to be done, how much will we save by giving worse pay and benefits to the employees at the bottom of the pay chain. Then, will we pay for social services to support them when their income will not pay even the lowest bills?

How is that moving us towards the city we say we want, fewer people homeless? How is that a good idea?

Wendy Edey, Edmonton