Media Release: UCP government forces massive layoffs at Olds College

OLDS – Today (Apr. 9), members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) working at Olds College were notified of mass layoffs.

Up to 100 Albertans have been notified – just before the Easter weekend - that they will be out of work or have their hours reduced as a result of Alberta’s Ministry of Education forcing the college to make budget cuts despite funding restraint and the disastrous economic effects of COVID-19.

“The UCP government is kicking rural Albertans when they are already down,” says AUPE Vice-President Bobby-Joe Borodey. “We are in the middle of a global pandemic and the UCP is forcing massive layoffs when Albertans need security and support from their government.

“Olds is a small town and the college is a major source of jobs for our community,” says Borodey, who works at Olds College as an admissions officer. “This is a heartless position for the government to take. Why are they punishing rural Albertans who do so much for the college and our community?”

This news comes on the same day Statistics Canada announced Alberta lost a total of 117,100 jobs in March, with more to be reported because of COVID-19.

“It is wrong to kill jobs when we don’t have to,” says Borodey. “If the UCP fails to relax budget mandates for post-secondary then this will keep happening all over Alberta. This government is shamelessly adding to the 25,000 K-12 education worker layoffs. Because of politicians, the human and economic impact is going to be much worse than what would happen because of the pandemic alone.

“Make no mistake. This fight is not over. I call rural Alberta home, and our communities are calling on Premier Kenney to step up to the plate and reverse the mandate the Advanced Education Ministry has given post-secondary institutions to make budget cuts. The Premier can stop layoffs in post-secondary during this crisis. We need him to do the obvious and stop the layoffs announced today in Olds.”

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AUPE Vice-President Bobby-Joe Borodey is available for interviews.
Please contact Alexander Delorme, Communications Officer: 780-264-9274