privatising crown corps.

[DowntownWpg]

Now this really made my eyes roll. Hydro: $35 to subsidize Transit Passes (half the cost of a pass), $55 subsidy to park your car downtown.

If Hydro really wants to portray themselves as a visionary "green organization," does this incentive to subsidize car parking not just encourage people to drive their cars?

Further, it'll only further justify all the surface lots in downtown.

If they are going to do this for Hydro employees, to be fair the same deal should be given to all provincial government, arms-length, and crown corp employees. Why are the nervous surburbanites from Hydro who are too scared to take the bus (either scared, or incorrectly self-perceived elite status, that is) so damn special?

I also call BS on the whole contract negotiation thing. What percentage of the workers in the new corporate tower will be unionized workers? Not many, most will be out-of-scope, due to the very nature of the type of departments and oversight that will be in the building.

It came out of their own pockets? As if! Would they not rather get their $55 directly to them on their pay cheque, as opposed to having to submit forms and receipts? In other words, am I to believe that a car driver would rather go the route of forms, than just have a cheque $55 larger?

P.S., I wouldn't be pissed if it was only transit passes that was subsidized. I have no troubles with them getting a cash incentive to ride the bus. The last thing we need is even more nervous ninny downtown drivers, and our alleged "green friendly" Hydro encouraging people to drive their own cars by also having an incentive for this.

Rant over, now here with the 'article:'


Hydro subsidizing employee parking

Updated: Mon Nov. 17 2008 19:03:14
ctvwinnipeg.ca

2000 Manitoba Hydro employees moving to their new downtown building next month will get a break on parking costs.

The Crown corporation is giving employees a $55/month subsidy if they park downtown.

For those taking a bus, the company will split the cost of a $70 transit pass.

Hydro couldn't say how much it will cost the company, but even if half of the employees park and the other half take the bus, it adds up to more than $1 million a year, all out of the Crown corporation's coffers.

Hydro spokesperson Glenn Schneider says employees negotiated the parking subsidy into their latest contract.

"So this really comes out of the salaries for our employees," he told CTV News.

Manitoba Public Insurance, another crown corporation with downtown offices, does not subsidize for parking or transit.