The simple act of honoring soldiers who've been killed fighting in Afghanistan was turned into a full-fledged national flap this week when a small Canadian town's municipal union filed a grievance against a councilman who lowered the town's flag to half-staff.
 Councilor Hodgson |
Last month, when news arrived that an Edmonton-based medic had been killed south of Kandahar in a suicide attack, Councilor Lynn Philip Hodgson lowered the community's flag to honor the fallen soldier.
Hodgson had introduced the motion to lower the flag earlier this year, following an increase in war casualties, and the council for Port Perry in Scugog Township, Ontario, passed it.
The task was even written into the town's contract with its unionized municipal workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. According to the agreement, unionized employees who lower the flag on the weekend or on a holiday must be paid overtime.
And that's what turned a simple act of respect into the filing of a union grievance, national shock and scrutiny and, finally, retreat by the union.
Hodgson, the union grievance charged, had violated the town's contract with the union when he lowered the flag at Port Perry's closed offices on a Saturday.
"It only takes two minutes to lower a flag," Hodgson told Mark Bonokoski, a columnist for the Toronto Sun.
The union's action drew attention locally and nationally.
"The union tells me that this is not about money," said Scugog Standard editor Rik Davie. "But if it is not about money, what is it about?
"Is it about the $120 in overtime, or whatever it is, for lowering the Canadian flag on a weekend? Or is it about honoring the sacrifice of a Canadian soldier?" he asked. "If it is about honoring a soldier, then why the grievance?"
 Liz Drebit |
Local CUPE president Liz Drebit insisted earlier this week that the issue wasn't money but procedure.
"When the collective agreement has been violated, the correct procedure is that a grievance be filed to resolve the issue at hand and hopefully to prevent any future oversights," she said. "(While) I do not feel it is appropriate to air these matters in the press, the fact that this has been brought to the attention of the press has caused a great deal of emotional reactions from a number of parties, including the members I represent and our local Legion."
That was Thursday. By Saturday, Drebit, besieged by radio, television and local print journalist and citing public scrutiny, announced that the grievance against Hodgson had been withdrawn.
"It was never our intent, ever, to dishonor the veterans...," she said. "I apologize to anyone who was offended by the complaint, that was not our intent."
Hodgson told the Scugog Standard he thought the town should partner with the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion to be certain soldiers were honored properly during non-work hours.
"We'll have to have a policy for weekends, hopefully a partnership with the legion," he said.
Leonard Scott, 75, a member of the local legion hall, agreed with the sentiment of some that it didn't matter who lowered the flag, just as long as the job got done.
"I was a union member and I agree with certain things but not this," he said. "(Soldiers) going over there are protecting us. We shouldn't ever be arguing over this."
Last year, WorldNetDaily reported that the Canadian Department of National Defense had conducted secret war games based on the scenario that disgruntled civilian employees would try to corrupt data, introduce malicious viruses and compromise the military's computers. During a contentious strike, such an internal attack could be expected, according to the scenario.