“We’re already having a hard time getting people to come here, so how can we up our cleanliness standards?” Mayor Andrew Knack pointed out there is enough parking capacity Downtown to cover an Oilers playoff game, so if someone wants to park there, space is available. There has been an increase in daytime economic activity after some levels of government mandated employees back to offices after several years of working from home following the COVID-19 pandemic. But the union representing city workers was able to
secure work-from-home into their collective bargaining agreement, so for now the city’s focus is getting people to live Downtown. With contract negotiations coming up next year, Bhatnagar said the city needs to begin talks with the union about what workers need to come back to the office. “Is it transit passes? Is it an ergonomic desk? Is cleaning up their Downtown offices?” she said. “We just want a plan.” Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don’t miss the news you need to know — add
EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Downtown, Edmonton, mayor Andrew Knack, cleanliness standards, parking capacity, Oilers playoff game, work from home, collective bargaining agreement, union, contract negotiations, Bhatnagar
Downtown just needs less homeless stuff, period.
So they’re saying there’s enough parking for an Oilers playoff game?? That seems like an odd flex lol. But also if people aren’t coming, maybe the cleanup isn’t the problem, it’s the cost of everything downtown. Parking tickets? Always a thing.
Wait I thought workers were forced back already? Like the whole WFH thing was done. Now the union gets to keep working from home but the mayor wants “cleanliness standards” like that fixes it. They should just fire whoever isn’t cleaning their desk or whatever.
It’s funny how they keep talking about cleaning up Downtown offices like people will magically move back just because of ergonomic desks. Also “enough parking capacity” doesn’t mean it’s convenient, it’s usually a hassle getting out after events. Next year they’ll negotiate and suddenly the union will get transit passes or cleaning supplies or whatever. I just want it to feel safer when you walk around, not like a spreadsheet plan.