FORT MCMURRAY—Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) offer their solidarity and support for members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in Fort McMurray, who could begin strike action next Tuesday, September 17.
CUPE members who work for Fort McMurray’s Public and Catholic school divisions will go on strike Sept. 17 if their employers refuse to offer new collective agreements that address the understaffing, burnout, and insufficient wages currently burdening employees.
“We stand in solidarity with CUPE members in Fort McMurray,” says AUPE Vice-President James Gault. “CUPE members and AUPE members face the same challenges at work. We desperately need better wages, working conditions, and mental health supports to continue providing the services Albertans rely on.”
CUPE members have also expressed solidarity with AUPE recently, as countless members and representatives have attended AUPE’s Time for Action bargaining rallies throughout the summer.
“The Government of Alberta is mandating what public employers, like school boards, are allowed to offer at the bargaining table, which puts CUPE and AUPE members in position to fight for the same cause,” says Gault. “So far, the government’s actions have only solidified the solidarity between the public sector unions in this province. The government may find that was not a wise strategy.”
AUPE is western Canada’s largest union, standing over 95,000 members strong. Approximately 11,000 AUPE members work in the education sector, including those working at Living Waters and Edmonton Catholic School Divisions.
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AUPE Vice-President James Gault is available for interviews.
Please contact Alexander Delorme, AUPE Communications Officer: a.delorme@aupe.org or 780-904-0654