There has been a lot of media coverage over the last several days regarding the possibility of Yukon Energy being sold to a private Alberta company. Employees at Yukon Energy are worried, angry and upset about the future of their company. Yukon Energy Corporation has given permission for a letter, which was sent to local newspapers by a large group of Yukon Energy staff, to be printed on this blog. Here it is.
We are writing as Yukon Energy employees who feel compelled to talk about Premier Fentie's plans to privatize the public corporation we work for. The secretive manner in which he is dealing with this issue is unacceptable to us. The premier has an obligation to be open and honest about his plans not only with those directly affected (in this case the Yukon Energy staff) but with all Yukoners, who are the owners of Yukon Energy.
We would also like to express our dismay over the resignation of four very dedicated Yukon Energy Corporation/Yukon Development Corporation board members. We are saddened that these four felt they could not, as a result of political interference, continue to perform their duties and responsibilities. We have lost a huge bank of knowledge and expertise with their departure.
Yukon Energy is at one of the most crucial times in its existence. Major projects are planned for the near future, including Mayo B. Yet it appears Premier Fentie has chosen this time to try to dismantle the Corporation and hand it over to a private company from Alberta. Why, we don't know. He hasn't given us any explanations. But readers should understand that if he moves forward with his plan, Yukoners will be the poorer for it. As a public corporation, Yukon Energy answers to Yukoners. As a private company owned by outside interests, Yukon Energy would answer to the bottom line and profits would go to Alberta instead of being re-invested in the Yukon.
We are Yukoners who work hard at our jobs and love what we do. We want to stay and raise our families in the territory. But we are worried that if Yukon Energy is privatized, many of us will lose our jobs. For some of us, that will mean leaving the Yukon to seek work elsewhere.
We have a message for Premier Fentie: As you have chosen not to be forthcoming on this issue, we can only assume that you are not interested in what’s best for Yukon Energy or for the Yukon public. We all make poor choices at times and we hope that you step back from this one. We invite you to meet with us as a group to explain your actions, rationale and plans for the future of our company.
We would also urge any readers who are worried about where the premier is going with this, to please contact their MLAs, write to this newspaper, and use whatever other means they can to voice their concerns.
Nick Balderas
David Bourque
Darryel Collins
Myrna Engren
Linda Greer
Lynda Harlow
Jaeson Henderson
Crystal Huebert
Mai Ho
Scott Hoffmann
Attila Janits
David MacDonald
Wesley Marsh
Christina McGillivray
Ed Mollard
Melanie Pettefer
Janet Patterson
Ed Peake
Al Porter
Brian Power
Les Rowland
Ken Sawyer
Matthew Sills
And many other Yukon Energy employees who chose not to give their names
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