FACE TO FACE: Should Coquitlam privatize food services at the sports centre?

I don’t like the privatization of public services. Privatization doesn’t always mean better nor does it mean less expensive outcomes. And frankly, the taxpayer still pays for the service but finds it harder to get accountability if things don’t work out.

Take, for instance, the city of Coquitlam’s garbage collection service. I can’t recall how many times I complained about the poor job the last lot of private garbage collectors did — to no avail. When it was city employees who did the work, I can’t recall complaining even once that rubbish was strewn all over the place or that the recycling hadn’t been collected. Thankfully, the new contractors are better but I still miss the city workers.

Now, the city of Coquitlam is mulling privatization of food and beverage services at a renovated Coquitlam sports centre. Apparently, the current service runs at a deficit. The report from food service consultant Restaurant Office Intelligence said the difference in the cost of labour for unionized workers compared to non-union workers is the reason for a deficit, if I read the reports correctly, of about $8,000 a year.

I also took a look at the report to council about the privatization of this service from the general manager of Leisure and Park Services; it seemed that part of the problem was with the way the service was run. That report says improvements could be made which “include a wider range of food choices, increased number of available seats, range of services and enhanced visitor experience.” Why can’t current staff be directed to do just that? Why does it have to be privatized?

What’s also concerning is that the report from the leisure and parks manager also “seeks direction to develop a process regarding future food service options within city-owned lands.” Is more privatization on the way?

This is what makes this taxpayer angry. Rather than look at how the city could improve the level of services offered with current staff, they are looking outside to the private sector. Well-paid CUPE workers, with their hard-fought, unionized rates would be replaced by non-union workers of a private company — people who earn less and spend less.

Surely, replacing CUPE workers with lower-paid workers is false economy, isn’t it?