Eastound Water Stewardship Alliance

The goal of this Eastound Water Stewardship Alliance is to promote the health and resiliency of our water system

by:

Supporting the operators in their unionization effort

Ensuring that all water department jobs are filled by island residents.

Holding the General Manager to a higher level of accountability

Encouraging the Board to restore trust and accountability between all stakeholders in the association.

As the essential, day-to-day foundation of Eastsound Water, the operators need to feel positive and stable in their jobs and have a reasonable process for expressing grievances when they arise. The union would ensure that these needs are met and we request that the Board work as swiftly as possible to get a union contract signed.

We believe that island jobs should remain opportunities for members of our island community. We are concerned about the financial impact and reduced resiliency of one of our most critical resources when these positions are filled by off-island contractors.

The General Manager of EWUA is responsible for ensuring that the organization has the structures, resources, and leadership capacity necessary to protect its employees, stabilize operations and maintain the confidence of its membership. We request that systems be put in place to hold the General Manager accountable to upholding each aspect of the job.

In order for the association to return to functional health after a period of sustained and varied crisis,’ we believe that the board must restore accountability and transparency and thus confidence and trust between all stakeholders in the association.