Canadian union upset over Scugog councilor lowering flag

August 31, 2006

A Scugog Township councillor Lynn Philip Hodgson lowered the town hall flag to half mast following the death of an Edmonton-based medic, Cpl. Andrew James Eykelenboom, who was killed in a fiery suicide attack south of Kandahar.

It is part of a unionized municipal employee's contract to raise and lower the Canadian flag on township properties, a role supposedly written into CUPE Local 1785-01's collective agreement with the municipality northeast of Whitby, Ontario.

"I can't talk for the union, but I think on this one, maybe they could have passed," Royal Canadian Legion branch 419 president Lucy Wilson said.

The municipal office in Port Perry, Ontario was closed and no union employees were on site.

"It only takes two minutes to lower a flag," said Hodgson.

His position as a town councillor is restricting him from commenting further until the union is dealt with.