EDMONTON, AB – With the fall session of the Alberta Legislature set to end next week, it’s obvious that the United Conservative government will not be bringing in legislation called for in the judicial inquiry into a Calgary care worker’s death.

In October 2019, Deborah Onwu, an employee of Woods Homes Society, was stabbed 19 times while working alone with Brandon Newman – then a resident of the society. Newman had complex needs, a history of violence, and assorted cognitive and mental health issues. Onwu, who was an experienced and highly trained counsellor, was working alone at the time and did not know Newman’s full history of violence.

Following the death of Onwu, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) requested a fatality inquiry. The inquiry released four recommendations on September 18^th, calling for legislative changes that would make care workers safer.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal says the lack of action by the UCP government is heartbreaking.

“When Deborah was killed, her employer was following all the required laws and regulations, but they weren’t enough,” said Uppal. “That’s why Justice Jivraj made four recommendations that would protect workers – but the UCP seem ready to ignore them and hope the report gathers dust.”

Uppal says CUPE will keep pushing for changes to support care workers.

“We have draft legislation that the government can introduce today. The issue has been studied and re-studied. The UCP needs to act before more care workers lose their lives.”

A referendum is expensive, divisive, and harmful to economy: CUPE

EDMONTON, AB – A union representing over 40,000 Albertans is calling on Premier Danielle Smith to put the Forever Canada petition to a vote in the Legislature, rather than hold a referendum on the subject.

The “Forever Canada” group was successful in collecting enough signatures on a petition calling for Alberta to remain in Canada to force the UCP government to respond to it. Provincial law says the government must either put the question to a province-wide referendum or hold a vote on the matter in the Legislature.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal says she’s worried that Danielle Smith doesn’t want a vote in the Legislature because it will reveal the fact many UCP MLAs support separatism.

“We know from the Quebec experience that referendums can be very unstable to the economy,” said Uppal. “Businesses flee, people decide not to move here. The money dries up.”

“Alberta is already facing economic headwinds due to Trump’s tariffs; we don’t need more pressure.”

Uppal said a referendum would cost around $11 million, and it would only create more division among Albertans.

“We shouldn’t be subjected to an expensive, divisive and harmful referendum just because the alternative is embarrassing to Danielle Smith,” said Uppal.”

Uppal said it’s clear from opinion polling and the success of the petition that Albertans are not supportive of independence.

“Thousands of Albertans worked hard to put this question to rest, and they succeeded –  spectacularly,” said Uppal. “Premier Smith should hold a vote in the Legislature, support our country, and stop engaging with the separatist minority.”

EDMONTON, AB – A battle to protect against an Alberta exit from the Canada Pension Plan is heating up with a new website and advertising campaign sponsored by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal announced the launch of www.donttouchcpp.ca and a robust advertising campaign. The website allows Alberta residents to easily email Premier Danielle Smith, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, and their own MLA, demanding to stay in the CPP.

Uppal says that a move to break up the CPP will lead to smaller pensions, higher costs and increased risk.

“Danielle Smith’s own government surveys show that only one in ten Albertans support her risky gamble,” said Uppal. “But she’s not listening. So even if you’ve already sent similar messages to her before, we need Albertans to send another message.”

“It’s time for her to give up on this extreme, ideological project and give Albertans the security we deserve.”

EDMONTON, AB — The union representing 12,000 education workers in Alberta says a new report calling for additional classroom support is stating the obvious.

“There’s nothing new in this ‘new’ roadmap. We all know we need more staff in classrooms, and the UCP needs to make it happen,” said CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal.

“The issue of classroom complexity isn’t all that complex. We need more staff, not more reports.”

Uppal said the strike by education support staff last winter and the teachers’ strike last month were caused by UCP budget cuts.

“Alberta has had the lowest education funding levels in Canada for years,” said Uppal. “They keep promising more staff, and then they keep failing to deliver.”

Uppal says the government’s promise of 1,500 new Educational Assistants is about half of what is needed to catch up to 2019 levels.

“We all know we need more staff in classrooms, and we all knew it back in 2023 when more staff were promised.  The UCP needs to make it happen.”

EDMONTON, AB  – The Canadian Union of Public Employees Alberta Division (CUPE Alberta) has launched a website and advertising campaign asking the province’s conservative government to “axe the tax” on COVID vaccines.

CUPE has launched a website at www.axethevaxtax.ca, which allows Albertans to send a letter to Premier Danielle Smith, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi, and their local MLA protesting the $100 fee charged to Albertans getting a COVID vaccination. CUPE is also advertising on social media and other platforms.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal says the vax tax is putting CUPE members who work in schools, hospitals and public areas in danger.

“Charging a $100 vax tax means more people will get sick, and our members, even those who get vaccinated, will be exposed to the virus more frequently,” said Uppal. “In almost every other part of Canada, residents can get the vaccination for free. Why do Albertans have to pay?”

“Albertans shouldn’t have to choose between being healthy and shelling out $100 for every family member. Danielle Smith and the UCP need to axe the vax tax.”

Lethbridge, AB – The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is demanding that the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division immediately rescind layoff notices issued to over two hundred education support staff.

Last week, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides issued a statement informing school boards that there will be no cuts to funding for support staff during the current Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) strike. He said, “I want to be absolutely clear: I expect school boards to use the funding they’ve been given to keep EAs on the job.” Despite this, the Holy Spirit has chosen to ignore the Minister’s direction and is jeopardizing the future of children and families.

“This is about stability for everyone,” said Joanne Lavkulich, President of CUPE Local 1825. “We can’t risk our support staff being forced to find other work. Students need familiar faces to be there and welcome them back when the strike is over.”

This lay-off notice follows a pattern at Holy Spirit where support staff have seen cuts in hours, work days, and positions over the last several years. These cuts have already pushed dedicated staff out of the profession.

Currently, Holy Spirit is the only school division in Alberta to issue layoff notices to support staff. Other divisions, including Pembina Hills and Northern Lights, have done the right thing by rescinding or reversing plans for layoff notices after the Minister’s commitment to maintain funding.

“CUPE members stand shoulder to shoulder with teachers in calling for better funded, fairer schools,” said Raj Uppal, President of CUPE Alberta. “Laying off support staff in the middle of a strike is reckless and unnecessary. It will create chaos for students and families and further destabilize schools that are already under pressure. Holy Spirit needs to reverse course immediately.”

The union representing a Calgary care worker fatally stabbed by a client with a history of violence is calling on the province to accept and implement the recommendations of the inquiry report released today.

In October of 2019, Deborah Onwu, an employee of Woods Homes Society, was stabbed 19 times while working alone with Brandon Newman – then a resident of the society. Newman had complex needs, a history of violence, and assorted cognitive and mental health issues. Onwu, who was an experienced and highly trained counsellor, was working alone at the time.

Following the death of Onwu, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) requested a fatality inquiry. The inquiry has completed its work, and Justice Jivraj’s report was released today.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal says the four recommendations coming from the report all point to legislative changes at the provincial level that could prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.

“Deborah Onwu didn’t need to die that night,” said Uppal. “If she had the full history of the client’s behaviour, if she had a co-worker, if there were other precautions taken, she might still be here.”

“We owe it to her and other workers in the social work field to do everything we can to prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

Troy Winters, a Health and Safety expert with CUPE, and a witness to the inquiry, said the recommended changes are long overdue in Alberta.

“The inspector said it himself, the employer was found to be in compliance with Alberta legislation.  So what does that say about the legislation?  The suggested changes include legislation that makes agencies proactively share the full history of clients, and that front-line workers know what to expect and have a full picture of the clients they are working with,” said Winters.

“If you want to protect workers, you have to inform workers.”

A full copy of the Fatality Inquiry report can be found here: ONWU Inquiry Report

CUPE 8125, representing WestJet flight attendants, has officially served notice to bargain a new collective agreement.

“WestJet flight attendants are professionals who deserve to be paid for every minute they’re on the job, from pre-boarding safety checks to post-flight duties,” said Alia Hussain, President of CUPE 8125. “Unpaid work is unacceptable, and it’s time for that to end.”

Flight attendants across Canada are standing up for better treatment. This summer, Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job over similar issues, and Canadians overwhelmingly backed their fight.

“We are committed to negotiating in good faith and securing a deal that respects the critical role flight attendants play in keeping the skies safe,” said Hussain.

“Our message to WestJet is plain and simple. Pay us fairly. Pay us for all our time.”

CUPE 8125, representing WestJet flight attendants, is commending the professionalism and swift action of crew members following a suspected landing gear failure on WestJet flight 2276 at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) yesterday.

At 17:29 UTC, the aircraft experienced what is being described as a landing gear failure and emergency protocols were immediately undertaken. Cabin crew oversaw the rapid deployment of slides and safely evacuated every passenger. Emergency services responded quickly, and all guests and crew were transported to the terminal with no reported injuries.

“Yesterday’s events are a powerful reminder of the essential role flight attendants play in keeping passengers safe,” said Alia Hussain, President of CUPE 8125. “When seconds matter, our members are trained to take charge, lead evacuations, and ensure that every passenger is cared for. Safety is not an add-on to our jobs. It is the very core of what we do.”

Hussain emphasized that flight attendants often perform their most critical safety duties outside of paid time. “This includes pre-flight safety checks, boarding procedures, and, when the unexpected happens, life-saving actions like those taken yesterday. This must change. Our critical work deserves recognition and fair compensation.”

CUPE 8125 extends gratitude to the crew of Flight 2276 and to emergency personnel for their skill, professionalism, and commitment to protecting lives, and reaffirms its demand that safety work should never be unpaid or undervalued.

EDMONTON – A survey of 93,000 Albertans conducted by the provincial government has a very clear message: don’t touch the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). The results were released by the government after a lengthy request for information by the Edmonton Journal.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal says she was not surprised the survey showed 63% opposition to leaving the CPP, and only 10% support for an Alberta plan.

“There is no case for leaving the CPP,” said Uppal. “An Alberta plan would cost more, and deliver weaker investment returns and smaller pensions.”

Uppal called on the UCP government to abandon all plans to take Alberta out of the Canada Pension Plan.

“I know Danielle Smith likes to flirt with separatists, but the Canada Pension Plan is one of the strongest reasons for Alberta to remain in Canada. The Premier needs to abandon this idea and stop threatening the retirement security of Albertans.”