AUPE members now free to focus on helping Albertans cope with crisis
EDMONTON – The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) and the Government of Alberta (GOA) have reached an agreement to protect the jobs of permanent government workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now is not the time to be cutting the jobs of our members who work on the front lines of providing vital public services to Albertans who are facing the greatest health and financial crisis of our lifetime,” says Guy Smith, president of AUPE, which represents more than 95,000 workers, including about 23,000 employed by the GOA.
“Late yesterday (Tuesday, March 31), the government recognized that Albertans need stability and predictability as we work together to tackle this crisis and accepted our request to extend job security for Government of Alberta workers. Our members can now focus their energies on helping Albertans.”
A letter of understanding guaranteeing job security expired on March 30. The union and the government have now signed a memorandum of agreement to extend job-security provisions to the end of June. Bargaining a new collective agreement has also been extended until the end of June.
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AUPE president Guy Smith is available for interviews.
Please contact Terry Inigo-Jones, Communications, 403-831-4394.