13 August 2004

Guild Locals sending flood relief
to members in Peterborough

Peterborough CWA | TNG Canada Local 30248

TNG Canada/CWA Locals have been responding to an appeal for financial aid for Guild members who suffered extensive losses in the mid-July flooding in Peterborough, Ont.

Nigel Sones, Business Agent for CWA 30248, which represents 100 employees of the Peterborough Examiner, says $1,600 has already arrived in response to his plea for help.

"Many of our members' homes were affected with some losing everything they owned. In some cases insurance did not cover the losses," he says.

"In an effort to provide additional support for those members affected, we sent out an email to all Canadian Locals of TNG requesting help. The response has been wonderful and very much appreciated by those who suffered huge losses," says Sones.

Although the extent of personal financial loss and amounts of relief provided by the city or province has yet to be determined, Sones says the Local is helping about a dozen members. Of those, four are really serious cases, he adds. "For us, it's been trying to figure out who's the most needy and getting the money to them."

The flooding, which resulted when nearly 200 millimetres of rain fell in the early morning hours of July 15, swept through the Examiner building, including the newsroom. One reporter escaped her apartment with only her pajamas, says Sones.

Many members living in basement apartments lost everything, either from the water itself pouring in, or from sewer backups. Anything contaminated by sewer water has to be thrown out, he explains. Some basements had anywhere from four to eight feet of "grey water" in them.

In the aftermath of the flooding, mould becomes a problem. With that in mind, there will be a membership meeting Wednesday to discuss any potential workplace hazards at the Peterborough Examiner.

Members will also have to cope with any mould problems that develop in their residences. "After the media hoopla is all over," says Sones, "people start falling through the cracks ... they can't get help from other sources." So the need for financial aid will be there for some time yet, he notes.