NDP bracing for possible voice mail ‘bomb’?

MPP Miller heard criticizing unions and a staffer: Will there be other politically damaging leaks?

Hamilton MPP Paul Miller is back in the spotlight in connection with allegations against him of workplace harassment and bullying.

The Hamilton East-Stoney Creek New Democrat has been caught on a recorded voice mail message criticizing unions and an employee for lack of dedication and loyalty while on parental leave.

“Basically, sometimes unions do more harm than good and sometimes they get their people into bad situations,” Miller said in a message to his constituency assistant Todd White, who has filed a human rights complaint and several union grievances against his boss.

Miller also claims other NDP MPPs are not happy with COPE, the Canadian Office and Professional Employees union, which represents party constituency workers and the Ontario NDP caucus.

“And there’s going to be some big

changes and you know what, Todd, it’s not just my office,” Miller said.

“A lot of the MPPs are moving in that direction because they’re not happy with COPE’s activities. And COPE is really digging a hole for themselves.”

The voice mail, obtained by The Spectator, was recorded in October 2016, shortly after White returned from a 10-month parental leave.

In the message, Miller complains he only heard from White “maybe once” when he was on leave looking after his baby, which didn’t give Miller a feeling he was loyal or cared about his work.

Miller warns there’s going to be “big changes real quick” or “it’s going to be an ugly situation.”

White, who is also chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, is alleging bullying, discrimination and wrongful suspensions because he took parental leave and declined overtime and participating in partisan activities.

In the human rights complaint, he alleges Miller, among other things, routinely made racist, sexist and homophobic comments.

In an email issued by the party in response to an interview request, Miller says he expressed “frustrations” with White’s job performance on a number of occasions to White himself and through the NDP caucus to his union.

“These frustrations and concerns are now the subject of the grievances currently subject to arbitration. I am confident that the process will resolve fairly, and demonstrate that I acted reasonably, in good faith and consistent with my obligations under the collective agreement.” Miller’s email makes no reference to his carping about unions, which must be excruciatingly embarrassing for the NDP given its historic close ties with the labour movement.

The fact the NDP election campaign promises to strengthen access to parental leave also must be causing red faces among party officials.

White’s lawyer Wade Poziomka says Miller’s comments are “chilling and inappropriate,” especially since males have to deal with the stigma that taking time off work to look after newborns suggests they’re not committed to their careers.

White started working for Miller in 2007 when the former steelworker was first elected to Queen’s Park. He went from full-time to part-time in 2015, a few months after he himself was elected school trustee for Ward 5 and board chair.

White took his first parental leave from Miller in November 2015 to September 2016. He began a second parental leave last month.

NDP leader and Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath has refused to address White’s allegations — or the human rights complaints filed against Hamilton Mountain NDP MPP Monique Taylor by two of her office staff — until the grievance and complaints processes are concluded.

Regarding White’s allegations, Marla DiCandia, director of operations for the NDP caucus, said by email the party is proud to be the only unionized caucus in Ontario, but is unable to give details about confidential personnel issues.

Fair enough. But, as Poziomka notes, now that the Miller recording is out, surely Horwath needs to at least send a message that the party doesn’t share its sentiments.

Then again, maybe Horwath and the party are nervously bracing themselves for the next shoe to drop.

After all, the party must be thinking if there’s one voice mail recording there could be others containing who knows what kind of politically-damaging information.

The fact the NDP election campaign promises to strengthen access to parental leave also must be causing red faces among party officials.