BLOGEXCLUSIVE: Who Screwed Councillor Marra

Oh my goodness. We do not need a canal in Windsor. There is a flood of information coming to me anonymously these days from plain brown envelopes in the mail to anonymous emails that cannot be traced.

If you think that there is little Respect for CUPE workers after the Protocol fiasco, then one wonders what Respect there is for Councillors with another Protocol fiasco that has not yet been reported.

And it is all directed to perhaps Eddie's opponent for Mayor if Eddie chooses to run again, Bill Marra.

In the midst of the CUPE strike, a nice way to use the strike to try to destroy the Councillor. Someone is a good planner and knows how to take advantage of a situation it would appear.

Let me explain.

Here is the relevant section of the CUPE 543 Protocol as sent out by the City:

• 4. The Union will sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Corporation agreeing to employ youth aged 15 to 18, under the Government of Ontario – Ministry of Children and Youth Services – New Beginnings – Summer Jobs for Youth Initiatives.

I must admit I did not think much of it. What that had to do with the strike issues I had no idea.

I assumed that there must be some Government program entitled "New Beginnings." I knew that Bill Marra was the head of a Windsor organization by that name but I thought it was a mere co-incidence.

Until I received this note from a CUPE member amongst several others I received who made similar comments:

• "one last thing before I go to bed ... bill marra is on committee with new beginnings ... take a look at the contract offer ... seasonals will not be brought back with full timers but will wait at home for a call that will never come ... their work would be done by the 15-18 year olds from new beginnings for 10 bucks an hour and no benefits ... courtesy of bill marra."

Oh, oh I thought, Bill's career is toast as a Windsor politician. He is hurting CUPE workers and they will take it out on him down the road as their political action committee forms up. He must have seen and approved the Protocol.

Until I received this anonymous email from a reader.

It was a copy of an email that was sent out by Councillor Marra. Oh, by the way, I am told by another source that "Cedar, Preston" is actually "Eddie Francis." Not a good choice of pseudonyms since Cedar is his daughter's middle name. How silly but maybe not after the Detroit text messaging scandal:

• "From: Marra, Bill [mailto:bmarra@city.windsor.on.ca]
  Sent: July 16, 2009 2:29 PM
  To: Skorobohacz, John; Reidel, Helga; City Council; Cedar, Preston
  Subject: Back to Work Protocol
  
  I was just notified by one of my employees that the Back to Work Protocol for Locals 82 & 543 is posted on the Windsor Star website and in the protocol there was specific mention of New Beginnings, our Ministry, and our Summer Jobs for Youth Program. At no time did anyone contact myself, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services or my Board of Directors. Our agency and the Ministry should have been consulted. The 2009 Summer Jobs for Youth Program is not relevant to this labour issue. We hired and placed all 260 youth last month at 101 different locations. And to aggravate this situation further, why would anyone insert the name of an agency of which a sitting City Councillor is responsible to operate, under these circumstances?? I certainly hope that this was not purposeful. I am required to report this to our Regional Office - my Ministry requires that I report all local media coverage related to them and/or our agency.
  
  Bill Marra"

It was clear that Bill had not seen the Protocol in advance of it being sent and that Councillor Hatfield probably had not from the email I posted the other day that had a time on it after it was sent to CUPE.

Who was responsible for putting together the Protocol? Clearly some Councillors never saw it before it went out. Someone on Council had to approve it I am sure. Can you guess who that person must be? Someone should demand the answer.

• "not relevant to this labour issue... I certainly hope that this was not purposeful."

Yeah right! Who will have to fall on the sword for this one?

I wonder if it was payback for someone putting forward Bill's name rather than the Mayor's to be a member of the Undevelopment Commission Board? (BTW, Eddie won and will stay on longer than the 6 months that the Council Motion set out originally. How that can be done procedurally, I have no idea!)

Or was it nothing more than an attempt to destroy Marra's strong labour base before he even announced that he was going to run for Mayor. Pre-emptive attacks are common on Marra that have happened before.

I should stop being so cynical. It was all a big mistake right.

I am so tired of all of this stupidity. Council has no choice but to act in this matter and decisively. No Respect for CUPE members, no Respect for Councillors. The negotiating air is so poisoned.

How can it be done:

1) Council must agree to arbitration (BUT they should also invite CUPE to try and do a deal BEFORE the date of the Arbitration so the "farm will not be sold")

2) Remove the Mayor immediately because of the Protocol and the managers' actions and have a Committee of Councillors call the shots who should immediately contact CUPE and try to do a deal.

Even the Star reported today to substantiate my point:

• Dispatching managers to vote "dumbfounds" expert, enrages workers
  
  Did mayor's manoeuvre contribute to strikers' angry rejection of city offer?
  
  An “inappropriate” manoeuvre by Mayor Eddie Francis that sent managers to a vote by striking city workers Thursday has left labour experts “dumfounded,” union leaders furious and at least one councillor stunned and saddened.

I cannot stand this farce already. Neither should you, dear reader. Neither should CUPE members. Neither should Windsorites. And neither for heaven's sake should Councillors!