PEIThe City of Charlottetown says Coun. Bob Doiron did not have a conflict of interest when he voted on a motion on whether council would meet with striking water and sewer workers last week. Union had claimed Bob Doiron has ties to private company the city hired during strikeMarilee Devries · CBC News · Posted: Oct 23, 2025 2:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe city has cleared Charlottetown Coun. Bob Doiron of a conflict of interest after the union representing striking water and sewer workers alleged he should not have voted on a matter involving the strike last week. (Sarah MacMillan/CBC)The City of Charlottetown says Coun. Bob Doiron did not have a conflict of interest when he voted on a motion on whether council would meet with striking water and sewer workers last week.CUPE Local 830, the union that represents the workers, had alleged Doiron — who is also chair of the city’s water and sewer committee — should not have taken part in vote on a notice of motion put forward by Coun. Mitch Tweel to potentially meet with the striking employees. In a letter, the union alleges that Doiron’s son-in-law is the majority shareholder of Landmark Construction, which CUPE said is one of the private contractors the city hired to do water and sewer work during the strike. But a city spokesperson told CBC News that Landmark Construction’s work involves connecting homes into Charlottetown’s water and sewer service, so the company is actually hired by the homeowners and not the city. In a statement, the city said a legal review of the Municipal Government Act shows that Doiron had no conflict.“The connection between Councillor Doiron and Landmark Construction is considered too remote to meet the legislative threshold for conflict,” the statement said.In a followup statement, the city said the legislative threshold for determining a conflict of interest is “open to legal interpretation and considers many factors.” “There is no evidence Councillor Doiron has an ownership, directorship, or active role in Landmark Construction. His disclosure statement identifies a minor shareholding in a separate numbered company in which his son-in-law is the majority shareholder, not in Landmark Construction itself.”WATCH | Union calls ban of Charlottetown water and sewer workers from city hall ‘ludicrous’:Union calls ban of Charlottetown water and sewer workers from city hall ‘ludicrous’Some striking Charlottetown water and sewer workers have been served trespass orders after a rally outside a Charlottetown city council meeting last week. The union says police served orders to four strikers and a union representative stating they are banned from Charlottetown City Hall. The CBC’s Connor Lamont has more.About 30 members of CUPE Local 830 walked off the job July 29 after more than two and a half years without a contract. The main issues, according to the union, are job security, seniority and wages.Earlier this week, four strikers and a union representative were served trespass orders banning them from Charlottetown City Hall after more than 50 union members and supporters rallied outside a council meeting last week.The union previously accused the city of intimidation and picket interference, but a P.E.I. Supreme Court justice found striking workers did not have their rights compromised or interfered with by their employer.ABOUT THE AUTHORMarilee Devries is a journalist with CBC P.E.I. She has a journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. She can be reached at marilee.devries@cbc.ca
Charlottetown finds no conflict for councillor in vote related to water and sewer strike
