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NPCA’s censure of Hodgson ‘disgraceful’: OPSEU

Office of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).
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Welland – The censure of Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board member Bill Hodgson was not only disgraceful but evidently illegitimate, the President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said today.

“Hodgson has consistently stood for accountability and openness on the NPCA Board, and he’s the one they censure?” said Thomas. “It’s a complete disgrace.”

According to Welland MPP Cindy Forster, Hodgson was censured “because he dared to express legitimate and valid concerns about a questionable RFP they recently issued.”

Thomas questioned whether the vote to censure Hodgson even passed. According to NPCA policy, censuring a fellow board member requires a two-thirds vote of members present. But at the recorded vote, only seven of the 12 members present voted in favour of censure, falling one vote short of the eight votes required.

“That’s some pretty strange math they did there,” said Thomas. “They needed eight votes and only got seven, but went ahead and censured Hodgson anyhow. It sure looks like a smear job to me.”

Forster has called on the government to appoint a supervisor to oversee the scandal-plagued NPCA. Thomas agrees.

“The board and senior management of this organization is clearly out of control,” said Thomas. “We have hard-working people trying to do their jobs while the board plays silly games and management creates a toxic workplace. We’ve had it. Time for the province to appoint a supervisor now and clean house.”

For more information: Warren (Smokey) Thomas, 613-329-1931