By Maureen Mariampillai, Communications Staff
We are heading into one of the biggest fights of our lives, and Strike Captains will lead the charge.
82,000 AUPE members are in bargaining right now. Many of them, including large groups like those working for the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services, could go on strike this year.
Strikes are not inevitable. Our bosses might come back to the bargaining table with much better offers, after all. But we must be ready if they don’t.
If we want to be ready, we need members like you to take Strike Captain Training.
Strike Captains are leaders on the picket line. They keep everyone organized so we can run safe and effective strikes across the province.
“It is impossible to run a good strike without good Strike Captains,” says AUPE Vice-President Darren Graham. “It’s your job to raise morale and raise some hell.”
Graham also notes that there is a lot of responsibility that comes with being a Strike Captain. For example, Strike Captains help members report for picket line duty, receive strike pay, and know their rights.
“Strike Captains are leaders on the picket line,” he says. “They keep everyone organized so we can run safe and effective strikes across the province.”
Preparing for a strike – even if it does not happen – sends a strong message. It shows we are not bluffing, that we are serious about fighting for raises, benefits, and better workplaces.
We are not demanding the impossible, either. We just know what we need and deserve.
I want to help. I want to be a reference point for my fellow members when they are on the line defending their livelihoods.
AUPE Local 002 member Michael MacLean has never participated in a strike before. However, he says he is taking Strike Captain training this spring because he sees just how important it is.
“I want to help,” he says. “I want to be a reference point for my fellow members when they are on the line defending their livelihoods.”
MacLean, who works as a writer and editor in the Alberta Government’s Municipal Affairs Executive Correspondence Unit, hopes his communications experience and style will be an asset as a Strike Captain.
A Strike Captain needs to be able to communicate carefully, quickly, and clearly, like when coordinating with AUPE headquarters, speaking to the media, supporting other members, or sharing information with the public.
Being on that line with your coworkers makes everything come together and you just feel that strength and solidarity.
Members like MacLean are stepping up across the province, something Vice-President Graham says we need a lot more of.
“It’s normal to be nervous or anxious about going on strike,” says Graham. “But that goes away quickly. Being on that line with your coworkers makes everything come together and you just feel that strength and solidarity.
“We need as many Strike Captains as possible to ensure every single member feels that solidarity if we go on strike.”