CUPE Island Water Watch Campaign

1
CUPE Island Water Watch Campaign

• Prepared for PSI
• Fighting for Quality Public Services
• Trade Union responses to new forms of
  privatization March 2006

2
What is CUPE Water Watch?

• National initiative since 2000
• Promotes publicly delivered water systems
• Works for adequate funding and regulation
• Supports appropriate worker training
  certification

3
What is CUPE Water Watch?

• Offers public education, build partnerships
• Educates and supports municipalities to defend
  public water services
• Develops public policy model

4
Why Island Water Watch?

• Unprecedented push by to privatize water and
  wastewater on Vancouver Island
• Epcor in Sooke, Port Hardy, French Creek
• Terasen in Langford, Colwood, Lake Cowichan,
  Saanich, Union Bay

5
Water Wastewater Privatization on Vancouver
Island

Established Present Push
6
Campaign Structure

• Island Water Watch Committee of CUPE locals
• Staff coordinator works on Vancouver Island
• Island staff representatives, technical
  specialists and provincial Strong Communities
  committee

7
Campaign Goals

• Inform Island residents about the implications /
  existing threats
• Build municipal/regional support for protection
  of public services
• Support community coalitions
• Influence electoral process municipal,
  provincial, federal

8
Campaign Goals

• Prevent EPCOR, Terasen or other corporations from
  gaining control of water systems or services
• Present sound analysis and critiques of private
  water delivery/private sewer line provision in
  Langford and Sooke
• Promote the value of publicly-delivered water
  services among the general public
• Create a public policy model on water to be used
  elsewhere and in concert with existing campaigns

9
Campaign Tools

• Written materials
• Email Lists/ Website
• Community coalition building
• Political involvement
• Advertising, Media
• Public Opinion research
• Public education and events
• CUPE members and their families

10
Written Materials
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
Coalition Building
16
Public Events
Maude Barlow, National
Chairperson Council of
Canadians Water For Life Not Profit
November 8th, 2005
Parksville, B.C.
17
Active Water Watch Communities

Established since September 2005
18
Successes

• Stopped contracting out of Water Quality
  Monitoring in Campbell River
• Resolutions passed by municipalities on public
  water and wastewater
• Stopped contracting out of 14 rural water
  services in the Regional District of Nanaimo
• Comprehensive submissions and responses to Water
  Comptroller in RDN

19
Successes

• Established Water Watch Coalitions Greater
  Victoria, Union Bay, Campbell River, RDN
• Hosted Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians, at
  November Water Forum in Parksville
• Hosted January Sustainability Forum in Union Bay
• Launched successful municipal election campaign
  2005, federal election campaign 2006

20
Whats ahead?

• World Water Day March 22
• Island-wide Municipal resolution campaign
• Community battles - Comox Valley, Lake Cowichan,
  CRD
• First Nations partnerships

21
Whats ahead?

• Analysis and critique of private water
  delivery/private sewer line provision in Langford
  and Sooke
• Public policy alternatives studies, research
  and technical/professional support to the
  campaign
• Continue coalition building, education, outreach,
  municipal support

22
www.keepwaterpublic.ca COPE491