By Terry Inigo-Jones, Communications Staff
You can feel the power rising at worksites across Alberta.
"Hospitals, colleges, office towers, out in the field – wherever AUPE members work, momentum is building,” says AUPE Vice-President Bobby-Joe Borodey.
We organized 34 rallies across the province from the beginning of July to the end of September. For the first time in AUPE’s more than 100-year history, the union held a successful – and loud – rally in Banff.
On September 7, AUPE staged a day of action, with simultaneous rallies In Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer.
This was all driven by and organized by members.
“We made so much noise that we could not be ignored,” says Borodey. “The government took the unprecedented step of issuing a statement the day before our day of action condemning our demands. Clearly, we have them rattled.”
But momentum does not get going overnight. AUPE members have walked a long, well-planned road to get to this point, all supported by the ambitious Provincial Executive strategic plan developed and adopted last December.
It began earlier this year with surveys for all 82,000 members in bargaining. AUPE members responded, and we quickly found out that we all face the same issues.
“AUPE members work all over the province and in very diverse fields,” says Borodey. “We may have different jobs, but we’re all in the same boat. AUPE members are struggling because our employers are satisfied with giving us low pay and poor working conditions. Well, we aren’t satisfied, and we’re going to fight for more.”
Our universal struggles became the four key pillars of bargaining: higher wages; increased job security; solutions to workload and working-short issues; and better benefits to protect our health and safety.
"AUPE members are struggling because our employers are satisfied with giving us low pay and poor working conditions. Well, we aren’t satisfied, and we’re going to fight for more.”
We knew our negotiating teams needed our support to fight for these demands. Members started with a wear red campaign to show their solidarity whenever their negotiating teams were at the bargaining table. Red shirts, wristbands, lanyards, socks, even hair nets were used to show our bosses that we are serious about getting a fair deal.
Next, members organized 54 town-halls in communities across Alberta. Thousands of members came together from AUPE’s diverse membership, reinforcing the bonds than bind us.
Energized by the town-hall meetings and the wear-red campaign, members took the next logical step. It was time to escalate to holding province-wide rallies.
“We needed to show our employers that we will fight for what we deserve,” says Borodey. “We also needed to show Albertans that we will fight for the public services they depend on. And rally we did.”
"We’ll have to prove our determination again... with a strong strike vote"
Now, AUPE members are ready to take the next steps on this journey.
“We know that the government has issued secret mandates to employers to restrict what they can offer. We know that to get what we need will take more than rallying,” says Borodey.
“Government interference in negotiations means we will reach an impasse. We’ll have to prove our determination again, this time with a strong strike vote that gives our negotiating teams the mandate to push for more,” she says.
AUPE members understand that now is the time for action. With more than 250,000 public-sector workers in bargaining, including 82,000 AUPE members, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Just like we shout at our rallies: “When we fight, we win!”