By Alexander Delorme, Communications Staff
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has violated CUPE members’ Charter-protected right to free collective bargaining.
CUPE members in Fort McMurray were set to strike on September 17. They had worked through collective bargaining with their employers, Fort McMurray’s Public and Catholic school divisions, but could not reach an agreement at the table.
They were organized, ready to walk the picket lines, and, critically, they had conducted a successful strike vote. CUPE members made their voices heard and were ready to fight for better contracts.
But then Premier Smith used the power of the government to force CUPE to the provincial Disputes Inquiry Board, stopping the strike and delaying bargaining even further.
AUPE Vice-President Bonnie Gostola wants members to be prepared in case the government blocks us from going on strike as well.
“Bargaining is ongoing for AUPE members across the province,” says Gostola. “If we can’t reach good deals at the table, we will be forced to take action for what we deserve, just like these CUPE members in Fort McMurray.”
“Ultimately, we are fighting to make our lives better and to protect the public services Albertans depend on. That’s a fight worth having and we know which side we’re on.”
Gostola says CUPE members across Alberta are bargaining to address short-staffing, burnout, and low wages – the very same things AUPE members are fighting for.
As the saying goes, we are all in this together. The reality of our shared struggle has brought AUPE and CUPE members closer than ever before.
“We are taking a stand across the province,” says Gostola. “Ultimately, we are fighting to make our lives better and to protect the public services Albertans depend on. That’s a fight worth having and we know which side we’re on.”
Not only are we trying to achieve the same goals, we face the same opposition. AUPE and CUPE members work in diverse fields for countless employers across Alberta, but these days it feels like everyone is bargaining with the same boss: the Government of Alberta.
It did not start with quashing CUPE members’ right to strike in Fort McMurray. The government has interfered in this round of bargaining since the beginning through the Provincial Bargaining and Compensation Office, which ensures our employers follow the government’s agenda.
In other words, even if employers like AHS and the University of Calgary wanted to give us better offers in bargaining, they are forced to propose what the government wants them to propose.
“We’re not in this fight alone; it’s time to take action with our fellow workers across this great province.”
“The UCP government likes to talk about freedom, yet here they are attacking Albertans’ right to strike and ability to fight for a better life,” says Gostola. “That’s not freedom. That’s not the Albertan spirit I know.”
But our spirits have not wavered, and nothing strengthens solidarity like adversity. CUPE has also showed a lot of support for AUPE recently, as countless CUPE members and representatives attended AUPE’s Time for Action bargaining rallies throughout the summer.
There is yet another opportunity for us all to show our solidarity at the end of the month: AUPE and CUPE members will join forces with other unions at a massive rally at the Legislature at 11:30 a.m. on October 24, the first day of AUPE’s 47th Annual Convention.
“This rally is going to be huge. If the government has not heard us yet, they will now,” says Gostola. “We’re not in this fight alone; it’s time to take action with our fellow workers across this great province.”