Swimming Lessons Amendment (Maloney - CUPE collaboration)
Motion 11 · Standing Committee of Council on City Finance and Services, May 20, 2026
Summary
- Amendment by Councillor Maloney to add a direction for staff to collaborate with CUPE locals representing auxiliary lifeguards on improving working conditions and retention, arguing auxiliary lifeguards are the backbone of aquatic program delivery.
- City Manager cautioned that "collaborate" in this context could imply joint ownership of a management function; Councillor Kirby-Yung raised concerns about council directing labor relations matters.
- Defeated.
Vote
In favour 4
Abstained 1
Public comments
Read all 1 statements
Transcript
19 segments
Sorry, Councillor, I need to move you to the amendment queue. Sure. Yeah, so we need a seconder for this amendment. Seconded by Councillor Fry. Yeah, please add yourself there so I can advance you.
There we go.
My apologies. Ensuring the retention of seasoned lifeguards and swim instructors is pivotal to seeing this motion come to life and ensuring the prevention of any drowning-related deaths or incidents for all Vancouverites and beyond. Additionally, we know that via the collective agreement, auxiliary workers across the border, precarious workers who do not have as many protections, benefits or guaranteed higher quality working conditions compared to our regular and temporary full-time staff. In order to ensure we are substantially and meaningfully ensuring increased retention of these aquatic staff, this council has to be more focused on improving their working conditions in a collaborative manner with the unions. This isn't just about more money for the job, but better protections and other benefits that can be provided to them. I couldn't be more enthusiastic. about guaranteeing free swimming lessons to every child, and this just helps make that happen.
Yeah, thanks. If I might ask a point of information through you, Chair, to the City Manager? Yeah, sure. And that is, I wonder if, Donnie, if you can guide us with respects to Council's ability to weigh in on labor relations matters and or sort of related considerations with respects to unionized staff redirection?
there we go certainly I want to be clear council can direct staff to take any action the term collaborate though has meaning in terms of jointly jointly working on something and it provides for provides for what would be something of an equal partnership collectively working whereas I would suggest What the councillor may be looking for, and I could be wrong, is engaging, which doesn't connotate joint ownership of the actual problem, because joint ownership would be, I would say, ceding sort of basic management rights to co-managing something. Is that what the council member is looking for?
Yes, and potentially responsibilities, right?
Certainly. And so certainly it... It would likely not be best practice to have joint management of the retention. I would see that as something where Council generally wants management to take the lead on versus having something collaboratively.
Yeah, I think this is a good amendment. Perhaps, I don't know if Councillor Maloney is working on maybe changing the language or not, but I could quickly come up with that and to change, collaborate with consultate or consult. Consultate is not a word. But I think it's a friendly amendment and doesn't change the spirit of the motion at all. So I'd definitely be supporting this. Happy to send in a word correction there if that's something that is...
Okay, Councillor Maloney, that's your turn. Yes, mate, yes. Okay, Councillor Maloney.
Yeah, no, I would be very happy for the wording to be changed to consult with.
so I'll move you to the amendment q2 so you can
Okay, so please add yourself so you can speak this amendment. Yeah, we received the email. Okay, so do you want to speak to your amendment to amendment or that's it?
Okay, sure. So seeing no one else on the queue, so let's go to the... Oh, we need a seconder for this amendment to amendment. Seconder by Council Maloney. Let's go to the vote for this amendment to amendment.
The amendment to amendment did not pass with Councillor Zhou, Dominato, Montague, Classen, Meisner and Mayors in opposition.
Okay, I'm going to go back to the amendment queue one. Councillor Maloney?
Nothing further to add.
Okay, so no one else on the queue. So again, let's go to the vote for the Councillor Maloney's amendment.
Oh, okay. Yeah, just give clerk one second.
Statement Watch
All right, is anyone else cold in here? Because I definitely am. But good morning, everyone. Good morning, council members and our mayor. My name is Samaya Adam. I am a black Muslim woman, and I'm grateful to be here with you all today. I'm a community builder. However, I am here on behalf of Foundation for a Path Forward. So on foundation, I serve as their board member. And, you know, sometimes you got to do dutiful, do the full things and come and support your community. So that's why I'm here today. However, the foundation's work is really focused on strengthening communities and advancing anti-racism work across local, national, and global contexts. It is in partnership with Resilience BC under the Attorney General's office. Our work is really grounded in collaboration and practical community-led solutions to build stronger, safer, and healthier communities. And so with that, we are here today for a proclamation recognizing Eid al-Hadha. Eid al-Hadha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, which you also graciously shared, it is one of the most significant holidays and celebrations in the Muslim faith. It is rooted in generosity and sacrifice, and it is deeply connected to the values our community cares. So our community really values community care. It is rooted in service. and support. And so when we think about sacrifice, there has to be this willingness to do that. And so at the same time, we cannot ignore the sober context of next month. So this June actually marks five years since the devastating attacks on the Afzal family in London, Ontario, where three generations of Muslim families were taken from us in an act of Islamophobic violence. Even today, we continue to see that rise in Islamophobia. However, moments like today should remind us that while Muslim communities are celebrating, many of us are also navigating anxiety and grief from our day-to-day experiences. So while today is a very symbolic day and a recognition that is so needed, it is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of one another, as well as to build solidarity. And so, thank you for... convening us today because the importance of coming together across differences is what really builds healthier, stronger communities. And so I'm really grateful for the city of Vancouver for creating the space for its residents, opening seats at the table, and really instilling a sense of dignity, shared responsibility through power, shifts, dynamics, all of that. And so this is a place we all call home. And so again, I'm just going to say thank you for giving us the space.
All right. Thanks, everyone. Thanks for... Alright, so this is the plan for the day. We're going to break at noon for lunch and return at 1pm to continue to deal with the remainder of the agenda. If needed, we need to recess at 5pm for a dinner break and reconvene at 6pm to complete the agenda. Okay, so now the committee member will consider the matter adopted on consent. We have report number one on the consent agenda for the committee's consideration. We will hold report two and three to hear from the speakers.