Four of the nine Victoria councillors who will decide on labour contracts with the city’s unionized CUPE workers received campaign contributions from unions in the last municipal election.
Two of them — Jeremy Loveday and Ben Isitt — saw about half their respective election campaigns funded through union donations.
Victoria councillors recently decided to give notice that the city would opt out of the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association, which bargains on behalf of 14 public-sector employers in the capital region, effective June next year. As a result, the city will bargain directly with its unionized workers.
Isitt declared that $12,514 of the $25,821 in campaign contributions he received came from unions, including $5,500 from CUPE 50, the city employees’ local.
Of the $22,478 in campaign contributions Loveday received, $10,811 came from trade unions. Of that, $4,500 was from CUPE 50.
Coun. Marianne Alto reported receiving $2,450 from unions out of total campaign donations of $26,549. Coun. Pam Madoff reported receiving $1,150 from unions out of total campaign contributions of $8,354.
Mayor Lisa Helps and councillors Chris Coleman, Charlayne Thornton-Joe, Margaret Lucas and Geoff Young did not report any campaign contributions from unions.
Neither Isitt nor Loveday see a conflict with accepting union donations and council’s new role in bargaining, although both said they would support limits or bans on corporate and union contributions.
“Ultimately, we’re responsible for any decisions the city’s making. We’re elected by residents of Victoria, and that’s who we’re serving,” Loveday said. “I was very fortunate to receive support in the form of time, donation and votes from residents and organizations of all backgrounds — over 100 volunteers who donated their time. … It’s the residents from across Victoria who I’m beholden to and who I serve.”
Isitt said he would support “sharp restrictions” on corporate and union donations.
“Given the existing rules, I have received that support,” he said. “But, if you look at my track record in terms of collective bargaining [and] other issues around labour and employee relations, I think I’ve been anything but a pushover in terms of advocating for fiscal responsibility and reining in the city’s costs where possible.”
Dermod Travis, executive director of the political watchdog Integrity B.C., said while it’s theoretically possible to maintain impartiality in labour matters while receiving contributions from unions, “it doesn’t pass the smell test.”
“Many already suspect that large corporations get favourable treatment from the B.C. government when those corporations make large donations to the B.C. Liberal Party,” Travis said in an email. “The same holds true for local councils when a majority of its members receive large campaign donations from unions.”
Michael Prince, Lansdowne professor of social policy at the University of Victoria, noted that the contributions are lawful and legally disclosed, but said some people might perceive a conflict of interest.
“To a reasonable person on the street, would this be reasonably viewed as something likely to influence this councillor on matters directly related to labour relations?” he asked. “I would think most reasonable people would say: ‘Yeah, there’s a real or perceived bias.’ ”
Prince said councillors who received union donations might want to recuse themselves from deliberations over labour issues.
Helps said council might consider forwarding a resolution calling for restrictions on campaign contributions from unions and corporations to the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
She said she is not concerned that four of the nine members of council received union donations.
“It’s still a minority of council, and we make decisions by majority. So I wouldn’t be worried about that. [Maybe] if seven of the nine of us had received union contributions,” Helps said, adding: “I think it is something that the province should look at.”
CUPE 50 president John Burrows said the city opting out of the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association doesn’t change the bargaining landscape. “Bargaining is bargaining. … It doesn’t change anything about us looking to achieve a fair deal for the city employees.”
He said the union makes donations to certain candidates simply because “they have trade-unionist values.”
