Employer reveals plans to cut or change jobs: 930 positions targeted
With bargaining about to begin again, the Government of Alberta sent a letter to the Government Services Bargaining Committee (GSBC) outlining where it plans to cut or change nearly 1,000 jobs.
It said: “The following initiatives could impact up to 930 positions through to the end of the current 2020-21 fiscal year. Changes to positions could include abolishments, ending termed employment, and redeployment to other roles.”
The GOA said these initiatives and potential job cuts would begin immediately. Some members were being informed today (Wednesday) about losing their jobs. This is the first phase of the plan the government revealed last year to cut a total of 2,500 jobs.
Last week, the employer said it saw no reason to delay bargaining or extend job protection again and wanted to resume talks. Despite Alberta facing a second wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, the employer said the surge in cases was not an issue and: “It is business as usual.”
As a result, your bargaining committee is required to return to the table. New bargaining dates have been set for Nov. 5, 12 and 13.
Rural communities targeted
The GOA disclosure letter (see attached document below) shows that a large part of the focus is in rural communities, including the loss of 247 jobs in Agriculture and Forestry. The second attached document below shows the communities affected by Agriculture and forestry abolishments.
This includes 57 positions in Wildfire Management, Forest Management and Forest Health.
As AUPE president Guy Smith said in a media release: “It is inconceivable that anyone would gamble with the lives of Albertans by cutting wildfire management. Has Jason Kenney forgotten what wildfires do or does he just not care?”
The employer also has plans to cut about 135 jobs in the Primary Agriculture division, including some in the farm-safety program.
These are particularly cruel blows for rural communities where good jobs are hard to find and where people are already hurting with the downturn in the economy due to the collapse in oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Added to that are the planned job cuts to health-care laundry services that will hit many of the same communities.
The UCP counts on rural communities to support it in elections, but seems to take those same voters for granted.
People with disabilities targeted
The GOA says changes to Community and Social Services could affect up to 536 positions by the end of 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Programs are being cut at the Michener Centre for people with disabilities in Red Deer. Meanwhile, the government is still considering the privatization of group homes for people with disabilities in Calgary and Edmonton.
This could mean the loss of 344 jobs of dedicated caregivers, as well as forcing fragile residents out of their homes against their will and the will of family members and guardians.
Why is Jason Kenney doing this?
Kenney and the UCP government are wasting nearly $5 billion in tax giveaways to already-profitable corporations.
He promised that this gambit would lead to those corporations creating jobs in Alberta, be he put no conditions on those tax giveaways. So, big companies are taking our money, putting it in the bank or using it to pay massive executive salaries or shareholder dividends.
Now, the UCP government wants to make workers pay for those lost billions with their jobs. The government is also picking on Albertans with disabilities to make them pay by cutting their supports and planning to privatize their care.
What’s next?
Remember to take care of yourselves if you are affected by these cuts. Please contact your Member Service Officer (MSO) if you have questions or concerns. You can call the Member Resource Centre (MRC) at 1-800-232-7284 or here.
This government is trying to bully workers and bully vulnerable Albertans with disabilities.
The only way to defeat a bully is to stand up and fight back.
The good news is that you are not alone. This government isn’t just picking on GOA workers, it’s picking on all workers. Last week, it said it would cut 11,000 health-care jobs just as the province headed into the second wave of COVID-19.
After the health-care cuts were announced, Finance Minister Travis Toews said: “And, yeah, that kind of approach needs to be applied to every ministry.”
The government is also fighting with doctors, registered nurses and teachers. It’s imposing anti-worker laws that have angered unionized and non-unionized workers.
It has angered rural municipal ratepayers by giving more tax cuts to oilpatch companies while many councils are struggling because of unpaid corporate tax bills. One government proposal caused the group Rural Municipalities of Alberta to say that 69 counties and municipal districts could have lost up to 40 per cent of their tax base.
This government is breaking lots of promises and making lots of enemies. It’s not just picking on GOA workers, but on all Albertans.
Stay tuned for how we will fight back. We are continuing to build and prepare for a strike if we are unable to reach an agreement at the bargaining table.
There are more than 90,000 AUPE members and the feeling of solidarity and defiance is growing stronger every day.
And remember. We are AUPE. When we fight, we win.
Please stay tuned for further bargaining updates.
Your Government Services Bargaining Committee (GSBC)
Rebecca Leblanc, Local 001, leblare@gmail.com
Andrea Waywanko, Local 002, waywaa@hotmail.com
Dax Lydiard, Local 003, 003bargaining@gmail.com
Steve Eagles, Local 004, s-eagles@shaw.ca
Randy Ramsden, Local 005, r.a.ramsden@hotmail.com
Donna Smith, Local 006, xsmith@telus.net
Angela Pala, Local 009, rossieyork@shaw.ca
Ken Podulsky (GSBC Vice-chair), Local 012, pudley68@telus.net
AUPE staff resources
Dale Perry, negotiations spokesperson, d.perry@aupe.org
Merryn Edwards, negotiations spokesperson, m.edwards@aupe.org
Farid Iskandar, organizer, f.iskandar@aupe.org
Madelaine Sommers, organizer, m.sommers@aupe.org
Terry Inigo-Jones, communications,t.inigo-jones@aupe.org