Hold us accountable after road worker firings, says top manager

It's a scandal that has dogged the city and its workers for two years the mass firing of 30 roads workers for time theft. A scandal that included traveling across town to a favourite coffee shop.

An arbitrator's report this month outlines acts such as stopping at a store to look at snow tires during work hours, and picking up ingredients to sterilize wine-making equipment. The city used GPS and video surveillance to investigate the workers in late 2012, then suspended two and fired 30 of them in early 2013.

But the story was far from over. The city hired back nine of those workers. In the end, CUPE5167 grieved 21 firings and four suspensions, and the arbitration process took a year and a half. The case of nine supervisors, also investigated and disciplined, is awaiting arbitration.

All told, it'scost the city nearly $900,000 so far. The overall investigation involved about 50 workers, all the way up to superintendents. None of the three superintendents were disciplined. One superintendent was promoted to a more senior position with the city.

• Did supervisors get the same treatment workers did in roads scandal?
• What road workers were doing when the city spied on them in 2012: report
• 'Culture of low expectations' led to public works scandal: report
• City rehires 15 fired roads workers, but most are on probation

Arbitrator Lorne Slotnickdidn't condone the workers' behaviours. But in his decision, he said they were abiding by the "culture of low expectations" around them. He ruled that 15 be hired back, although most with probation and suspensions on record. Some will receive back pay, which the city is still calculating.

City manager Chris Murray sat down with CBC Hamilton for an on-camera interview about what he calls "a major event, certainly,in Hamilton's history."

The behaviour couldn't go unchecked, he said. Thecity doesn't necessarily have regrets, but"I have learnings. That's what we have."

The culture has changed drastically since 2012, he said. The city is using training and other new methods to increase productivity and ensure value for tax dollars.

Ultimately, the publicshould hold him and other city staff accountable, he said.

"Measure me against what I'm doing and what I'm going to do about these things," he said. "I think we have the right answers in place and that's the path we're going to be on."