(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) – Water rate increases of 17% in 2022 and 8.9% in 2023 in the City of Niagara Falls has not sat well with property taxpayers, so much so that the United Steelworkers (USW) recently initiated a public campaign that included an on-line petition and its Members going door-to-door to talk to residents about how they felt about paying more for their H2O.  And, after an extended period of their pleas falling on deaf ears at City Hall, it appears their effort has yielded results with Mayor Robert Restaino, who signed on to a joint letter with the Union that was released late last week that calls for the review of “any past cost controls” - as well as taking a “serious look at what is truly needed to operate the (City’s) Water Plant in a safe and efficient manner.”

“This is a ‘huge’ shift,” USW Sub-District Director Jim Briggs, who also serves as President of the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, tells WNYLaborToday.com.  “We are ‘trying to work with the Mayor to convince both the Mayor and the City Council to fix the problems, including new appointments to the Water Board.’  The Mayor ‘is (now) working with the USW to address’ those inequities.  Meanwhile, City Council Members ‘have not reached out to (the USW) and that’s a shame because they represent their constituents.’”

USW Local 9434 represents Water Board Employees in Niagara Falls.

Briggs and Restaino both signed the following letter that was made public late last week:

In 2003, the Niagara Falls Water Board was established assuming the responsibilities from the City of Niagara Falls for the administration and operation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Water Treatment Plant and the maintenance of Water and Sewer lines in the City.

While the Board is a separate entity from the City, the one common thread is water and sewer ratepayers are also property taxpayers.

Keeping up an aging water and sewer plant is costly.

This, along with increases in chemical costs since the pandemic, are not totally controllable.

Old technology and equipment continue to be an issue.

These issues have been controlled due to the skilled workforce that operates and maintains the plants.

This assures that our citizen’s water services are not interrupted, however, rate increases of 8.9% in 2023 and 17% in 2022 must be addressed.

The residents of our City expect this and deserve it.

We have been able to reverse the trend of negative budgeting, draining the City’s savings and overdependence on casino revenue at City Hall.

Over the past two years, we have created a surplus that has allowed the City to stabilize finances and provide tax relief.

We think that a discussion and collective effort may aid in determining potential improvements and spending controls at the Water and Sewer facilities.

All options should be considered including analysis of administration, assessment of current personnel, and a review of whether a fresh look at the operation by new board membership - including board members appointed by City and State officials, should be part of the discussion.

We must find improvement and savings to benefit our residents.

In addition to the above, it is imperative that the Union Labor Workforce be involved in these discussions - they operate and maintain the plant and understand the difference between mandatory spending to ensure the operation and optional spending that could address past and future rate increases.

We must explore any past cost controls and seriously look at what is truly needed to operate the Water plant in a safe and efficient manner.

This will benefit City residents.

Though the City Government does not control the operations of the treatment plants and the maintenance of City water and sewer lines, we will be looking to discuss efficiencies with State officials, the City Council, the Water Board, and administration along with the Union workforce.

Together, we can examine current issues and collectively work towards a solution that will benefit the City residents to address both safe operation of the facility and efficient operations of the facility.

Part of the problem at the City’s Water Plant, according to Briggs, is the way Niagara Falls Water Board Chairman Nick Forester, the former Niagara County Democratic Party Chairman, is running the show.

“(Under Forester’s guidance) ‘there’s been much wasteful and cosmetic spending’ (including a great amount of money spent on remodeling its headquarters’ conference room).  ‘Instead, this money should have been spent on (improving) infrastructure.’  We understand ‘as much as (69%) of the water going through the system is not going to metered’ water ‘and is unbilled.’  ‘There are either leaks or non-metered (outlets).’  This (wasted) water ‘has also been treated with chemicals (which comes at a cost to the City).’  In addition, the Water Board ‘has hired people for jobs that do not exist and that work that has been passed on to its Union-represented Workforce.  As a result, the (USW has) filed as many as five charges with PERB (Public Employees Relations Board against the Water Board).”

Briggs said the USW’s joint letter with Mayor Restaino will “create a conversation” and possibly “an investigation” into what has transpired at the Niagara Falls Water Board.

“‘Instead of spending half a million dollars on (revamping) a conference room, spending ($1 million) on consultants and new positions – some of whom are former and retired Water Board Workers who are already collecting pensions and benefits, it could have been spent on fixing the water situation,’” he said.

In recent weeks, there have been a multitude of media reports emanating out of Niagara Falls on the amount of money the Water Board has been spending and where it is being spent that has cast a shadow on how business is being done, which apparently has not gone unnoticed throughout the community.

As USW Representatives were going door-to-door to talk to City residents and ask them to sign the petition that calls for the Mayor to appoint new Members to the Water Board, Briggs said about “(98% of those residents) had the same concerns (as the USW) about what was going on.’”

“‘This has begun a conversation that is creating a path to address these inequities under Chairman Forester.  We have to consider the taxpayers, many who are on fixed incomes and can’t afford water rate increases,’” Briggs added.     

(WNYLaborToday.com Editor's Note: To Sign The Petition, Go To: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-niagara-falls-needs-a-water-board-who-will-work-to-protect-our-families/)