Letter to the Editor

Labour issues at Metro Transit, Halifax Water Commission and Dalhousie University have a similarity in that the top executives of these organizations have all received extraordinary pay increases over the past several years compared to that of the average citizen. Good leadership would have these leaders justify their increases (and the reason that fast rising salaries at the top executive level are needed  to attract and keep good people just won’t cut it anymore. Maybe these jobs are tougher now because the top executives seem to need more  top executives around them than ever before  to help them out these days). Isn’t it unrealistic to expect the rank and file of these organizations not to dream and hope for the same kinds of growth in salaries and benefits that they see their leaders get? In tough times, surely real leadership begins with the leaders at the top holding the line or revoking some of their own increases taken in the past. Why isn’t this happening here in Nova Scotia these days?

– Allan Rodger, B.A. Dal ’70