The rhetoric is ramping up as the London West byelection campaign enters its final week.

Conservative candidate Ali Chahbar was flanked by Tory education critic Lisa MacLeod this week as the two challenged the union ties of Chahbar’s byelection rivals.

“Residents of London West should be aware of NDP candidate Peggy Sattler and Liberal candidate Ken Coran’s troub­lingly cozy relationship with Ontario’s public sector union bosses,” a Tory release warned.

MacLeod says the NDP is too closely entwined with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). She pointed to a recent e-mail from the president of the local CUPE branch that called on 400 members to help Sattler.

MacLeod took issue with the letter being signed “CUPE NDP Campaign.”

“That has now blurred the lines of acceptable behaviour,” MacLeod said. “The reality becomes the candidate is beholden more to the union than the public that elects (them).”

MacLeod argued the volunteer hours of workers are a donation from CUPE and demanded that their value should be disclosed to Elections Ontario.

But CUPE officials and Sattler didn’t see the endorsement as a problem.

“If people are volunteering their time to help out on a campaign I don’t understand why any party . . . would be concerned,” said Heather Skolly, president of the local labour group.

“If I was volunteering at a church, if I was volunteering at a sports diamond, why would anyone be concerned with what I was volunteering my time on? Unless they feel threatened.”

She added that the local branch of CUPE hasn’t made a financial contribution and wouldn’t do so without the support of its members.

Sattler said her party attracts people from all walks of life, some of whom are union members and some of whom aren’t.

“I suspect some union members will be working on the Tory campaign, too,” she said.

When asked if she felt compelled to disclose the value of CUPE volunteer hours, she said people help of their own free will.

“We assume they’re volunteering on their own time. All of our volunteers are on their own time.”

Coran has also seen support from labour groups. The Thames Valley high school teachers labour group threw its support behind him early in the campaign.

He said having the support of unions isn’t a negative.

“I think this is just another attempt . . . to distract voters from the real issues that impact everyday lives,” he said.

London West voters head to the polls Thursday in one of five byelections in Ontario that day.

brent.boles@sunmedia.ca

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