Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jun 2013
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Tiffany Crawford
Page: 5

WORKERS INVESTIGATED FOR SUPPLYING POWER TO GROW OPERATIONS

BC Hydro is conducting an internal investigation into whether a group
of workers in at least five B.C. cities supplied power to illegal
marijuana grow-ops.

Doug McKay, business manager for the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, wants BC Hydro to explain why they have accused 18
employees, mostly line workers, of stealing equipment or installing
hydro bypasses at illegal grow-ops.

The employees are on paid leave while the investigation continues,
McKay said, adding that the workers he has spoken to claim they were
"just doing their job" and not involved in the drug trade.

The investigation has been going on for about eight months ago,
according to McKay. But he said the company only notified the union on
Monday.

McKay said either some workers are not being truthful, or BC Hydro is
involved in "a witch-hunt" against the members, but either way he
wants answers from the company as soon as possible.

"I'm frustrated to the end of this thing," he said on Thursday. "There
is not much I can do for anyone until I have all the facts."

One of the issues may be whether workers supplied power to a legal
marijuana grow-op, where hydro customers hold legitimate licenses from
Health Canada to grow medical marijuana, said McKay. Or, he added,
another explanation might be that the workers were called out to do
repairs and did not know there was an illegal grow-op.

BC Hydro spokeswoman Simi Heer confirmed an internal investigation is
underway, but she has provided no specific details.

"We are conducting a thorough, internal investigation into the conduct
of a small number of employees who appear to have been involved in the
theft of BC Hydro equipment or other activities that would constitute
a violation of our Code of Conduct," she said, in an email.

"This is an internal personnel matter at the moment and we cannot
provide further information at this time."

Heer said the company wants to ensure that the group's conduct is not
affecting the safety of the public or BC Hydro employees.

The workers under investigation are from two Metro Vancouver cities:
Surrey and Coquitlam. There are also workers on leave from Prince
George, Westbank and Campbell River.

Peter Thiessen, a spokesman for the RCMP, would not confirm whether
Mounties were also investigating the allegations. He said in an email
that it would be more appropriate for BC Hydro to address the situation.
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MAP posted-by: Matt