- 注册
- 2002-10-07
- 消息
- 402,590
- 荣誉分数
- 76
- 声望点数
- 228
Another person connected with the Shepherds of Good Hope is taking a stand over the dismissal of a longtime employee.
After more than a decade on the board of Shepherds of Good Hope, Ric Degenais said he was calling it quits after the organization parted ways with volunteer co-ordinator Ann MacDonald. MacDonald’s last day at the organization is Tuesday.
Degenais said he felt like her contributions to the organization were swept under the rug.
Deirdre Freiheit, chief executive of the Shepherds of Good Hope, said she could not comment on MacDonald’s dismissal because it was “an HR issue.”
“Ann has been a 30-year employee with the Shepherds and we’ve done everything we can to treat her as fairly as we possibly can in her departure, as we would with any employee who’s served us that long,” Freiheit said.
Degenais said that when Frank McAlpine, a 92-year-old volunteer, took to the podium at the organization’s annual general meeting to protest MacDonald’s treatment and turn down an award for his 12 years as a volunteer, he was so moved he stood up and applauded.
“It’s a tough position to be in when you stand up and you feel like you’re standing alone,” Degenais told the Citizen, after resigning from the board and his position as vice-president on Friday.
Although McAlpine said he will stay on as a volunteer at the Shepherds of Good Hope, Degenais said he will be parting ways completely with the organization. Still, he said he wanted to make it clear how much he respected the work the organization does in the community.
“The idea of the institution and what it stands for is a great idea, and I care about the staff and I care about the clients a lot,” he said.
“We appreciate Ric’s contributions to the board and respect his decision to resign,” Freiheit said.
Degenais, who works for the Canadian Union of Public Employees and is a frequent NDP candidate in both federal and provincial elections, said he joined Shepherds of Good Hope in 2002, first as a volunteer but soon after as a member of the board.
But he only learned about MacDonald’s firing, he said, at a finance committee meeting just days before the Sept. 23 annual general meeting where McAlpine made his speech. Degenais said he felt blindsided, and didn’t understand why he wasn’t kept in the loop and consulted about such a big decision.
“I could have been informed and given more details,” he said.
That weekend, he called MacDonald, who he said urged him to stay with the organization. But, he said, after talking with other members of the board, he felt that resigning was the best option. At 63 years old, he had only committed himself to two more years on the board, and although he attributes MacDonald’s firing as “90 per cent” of the reason for his resignation, he also cited the desire to spend more time with his family as a contributing factor.
“I’m … just interested in liking what I see in the mirror,” he said.
Related
查看原文...
After more than a decade on the board of Shepherds of Good Hope, Ric Degenais said he was calling it quits after the organization parted ways with volunteer co-ordinator Ann MacDonald. MacDonald’s last day at the organization is Tuesday.
Degenais said he felt like her contributions to the organization were swept under the rug.
Deirdre Freiheit, chief executive of the Shepherds of Good Hope, said she could not comment on MacDonald’s dismissal because it was “an HR issue.”
“Ann has been a 30-year employee with the Shepherds and we’ve done everything we can to treat her as fairly as we possibly can in her departure, as we would with any employee who’s served us that long,” Freiheit said.
Degenais said that when Frank McAlpine, a 92-year-old volunteer, took to the podium at the organization’s annual general meeting to protest MacDonald’s treatment and turn down an award for his 12 years as a volunteer, he was so moved he stood up and applauded.
“It’s a tough position to be in when you stand up and you feel like you’re standing alone,” Degenais told the Citizen, after resigning from the board and his position as vice-president on Friday.
Although McAlpine said he will stay on as a volunteer at the Shepherds of Good Hope, Degenais said he will be parting ways completely with the organization. Still, he said he wanted to make it clear how much he respected the work the organization does in the community.
“The idea of the institution and what it stands for is a great idea, and I care about the staff and I care about the clients a lot,” he said.
“We appreciate Ric’s contributions to the board and respect his decision to resign,” Freiheit said.
Degenais, who works for the Canadian Union of Public Employees and is a frequent NDP candidate in both federal and provincial elections, said he joined Shepherds of Good Hope in 2002, first as a volunteer but soon after as a member of the board.
But he only learned about MacDonald’s firing, he said, at a finance committee meeting just days before the Sept. 23 annual general meeting where McAlpine made his speech. Degenais said he felt blindsided, and didn’t understand why he wasn’t kept in the loop and consulted about such a big decision.
“I could have been informed and given more details,” he said.
That weekend, he called MacDonald, who he said urged him to stay with the organization. But, he said, after talking with other members of the board, he felt that resigning was the best option. At 63 years old, he had only committed himself to two more years on the board, and although he attributes MacDonald’s firing as “90 per cent” of the reason for his resignation, he also cited the desire to spend more time with his family as a contributing factor.
“I’m … just interested in liking what I see in the mirror,” he said.
Related
查看原文...
