‘Workforce adjustment’ underway at city hall
By Tim Kalinowski on June 29, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com
The City of Lethbridge is confirming it is in the process of making a “workforce adjustment” approved by council last November.
According to social media reports as many as 61 City employees were laid off last week. While the City is not confirming an exact number as the official report has yet to come before city council, the City is confirming it is following the Workforce Reduction Initiative brought forth by Coun. Blaine Hyggen and approved by councillors at the Nov. 16 council meeting.
The Initiative included a 10 per cent reduction in pay for city council members in 2021 for a projected savings of $77,300, and a zero per cent wage increase for management and non-union staff in 2021 with a projected savings of $513,000. It also stipulated a three-year reduction in the overall City workforce, in keeping with the KPMG recommendations, over three years through a combination of attrition and retirement for a savings of $5 million. And a 50 per cent reduction in the mayor and council’s 2021 travel budget which would save the City $56,000.
The Herald did seek comment from unions associated with the City of Lethbridge, but had received no response to our inquiries as of press time on Monday.
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Don’t stop there. There’s to many high paid jobs in City Hall that are redundant or not necessary. Too many “managers”. Too many people doing nothing more than trying to justify their jobs. Look at some of the job titles!!
Please, curb your enthusiasm. Whatever the final number of positions involved, let’s not forget that those positions were filled by people who are our neighbours and friends. Many of those affected will have families to provide for and mortgage payments to cover. This is the time for compassion not crowing.
this is a thoughtful point…but we get a lot of thoughtlessness in this forum. i do feel, however, that most of the crowing is about the bloated, and overly compensated management level “jobs” at city hall. we can start with the city manager, who may well be, dollar received to population being looked after, among the most over compensated managers in the land.
a call out to the traffic lights manger in town: get mayor magrath under control, please. out of whack, out of synch.