Joint statement from ATA, AUPE, CUPE Alberta and Unifor

Everyone who works in Alberta’s public K-12 schools share a common priority: Keeping the students and families safe.

Now that Albertans are preparing for schools to reopen, we as unionized workers have come together to issue this joint statement.

We are concerned about the Government of Alberta’s deficient plan for school reopening.

As front-line workers, we know that the best way to keep the children safe is to have enough staff to do the work and to have these workers do the jobs for which they are trained.

That is why members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Unifor all commit to focusing on their own work and not put children at risk by doing work for which they are not trained.

Teachers will stick to instruction and assessment; education assistants will stick to helping students; custodial workers will stick to maintenance and cleaning to keep the COVID-19 virus away.

We are concerned with recent comments made by the Premier that call on teachers to “tidy up” in schools as part of the plan to deal with the risks posed by COVID-19.

There is a difference between tidying up, which teachers do routinely, and the cleaning needed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 that will need to be undertaken throughout schools over the course of the school day in an organized and systematic fashion by staff employed for this purpose.

In the face of this dangerous pandemic, our children and staff need to have all these important tasks done by those who are trained to do them.

The Alberta government and school boards must not cut corners by asking these workers to do their normal jobs and then to undertake extra duties related to COVID-19 for which they are not trained.

Schools have been chronically understaffed for years. Recent budget cuts imposed by the government mean funding is lower than at 2018 levels. Schools do not have the funding required to increase staffing levels to ensure students, staff and their families remain safe.

The government and school boards have a duty to ensure that there are adequate resources to ensure safety. That means having enough workers; enough masks and other required personal protective equipment; and enough sanitizers, soap and washing stations.

Anything less mean placing students, staff and Alberta families at unacceptable risk.

CALGARY – The CUPE local 1645 executive issued the following statement in reaction to the layoff of 45 employees at the Glenbow Museum. The museum has now eliminated 80 per cent of unionized positions since closing in March. The layoffs will have a devastating impact on visitors and exhibits.

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“It is a dark day for arts and culture in Alberta. In an historic move, the Glenbow Museum has eliminated 45 positions. Half of these employees have been with the museum more than ten years and represent vast institutional knowledge, expertise, and highly specialized skills.

All visitor servicer and coordinator positions have been terminated, along with exhibit, photography, and graphic design positions. Eighty-five per cent of the artifacts will now have no technicians or conservators to care for them. This move will impact visitors, researchers, donors, and most importantly BIPOC communities who have relied on access from front-end staff to their cultural patrimony held in permanent galleries and the collection.

We continue to work on behalf of our members, both those laid off and those continuing to work at the Glenbow Museum, by keeping lines of communication open with the employer in hopes that the immense talent of our members can be retained and recalled. Regular Zoom meetings have been, and will continue to be, held with the membership to ensure that employees are coping during this unprecedented time.”

CUPE says “see you in court”

Calgary – “See you in court, see you at the next election.”

That was the response from CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill to news the Kenney government passed Bill 32 through the legislature late last night.

Gill says CUPE’s legal advice is overwhelmingly of the opinion that Bill 32 is unconstitutional on a number of fronts. Gill says the Premier wants a war with unions to distract from his failed economic agenda.

“Kenney promised jobs and pipelines, and Alberta’s economy is worse than ever,” said Gill.  “He promised no cuts to front line services and has slashed funding to health, education and municipalities.”

“Jason Kenney doesn’t want CUPE or other than unions to talk to our members or the public about his failures, so he passed Bill 32 to try to shut us up.”

“For better or worse, you’ll never shut CUPE up. We will keep telling people that Jason Kenney is the worst Premier in Alberta history.”

A bill before the Alberta Legislature will put Alberta’s blood collection system in peril by allowing private interests to ship plasma out of the province and country.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) who represents employees at Canadian Blood Services, says the Kenney government is giving for-profit blood brokers the ability to operate freely, including the ability to ship blood to other countries.

“Private blood brokers do not create self-sufficiency in Canada because they make their profits by selling the plasma internationally,” said CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill. “Blood brokers pull donors from the public system, depleting our supply chain.”

“It’s not worth the lives of patients needing blood to make a few dollars for friends of the UCP,” said Gill. “This is a move being done to reward business interests close to the Kenney government, not to save money or provide better health care.”

“The Kenney government needs to scrap the bill, and reverse this dangerous, corrupt blood for money scheme.”

Two-thirds of administrative staff now gone

RED DEER – Another 39 CUPE positions were eliminated and reduced from Red Deer College today in a move the union is calling “devastating to programs and services going forward.”

CUPE Local 1445 President Trina Carroll says there were once 157 people in her union delivering support services to students. Carroll says 43 were let go due to COVID-19 and Red Deer College has given no indication when or if they will all return.

“Students, faculty and even the public are going to see a dramatic reduction in the quality of program supports at the College,” said Carroll. “I am very concerned as to how we will be able to deliver a proper education support, or even provide services.”

In a media announcement early today, Red Deer College announced that recreation centres have been moved to Phase 2, so are in preparation to re-open the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. Carroll stated, “The College will be running the centre with minimal staff, all parts of the college will struggle to offer required services given the cuts we faced.”

“Provincial cutbacks are devastating post secondary education in Alberta,” said Carroll. “We were promised no cuts to front line services, but that promise has not been kept.”

BANFF – Jason Pratt, President of CUPE 4318 issued the following statement in reaction to the layoff of almost 400 employees at the Banff Centre. The Centre has placed 284 members on long term leave and another 100 on short term layoff.

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“CUPE Local 4318 members are immensely saddened by the news of the permanent layoff of friends and coworkers who have been a part of Banff Centre for many years.  CUPE Local 4318 will continue to work with the centre, in hopes that all of its members have jobs when the Centre eventually and fully reopens.

Many of the staff are struggling with the uncertainty and are in a position where they will have to make tough decisions about their lives and futures. In the interim, we strive to help our members by answering their questions and addressing issues in their hour of need.  We are working with the employer to ensure all staff will receive their entitlements in accordance with the collective agreement.  Arrangements have been made to feed staff, reduce rent for on site workers, and assisting with job services to help find other employment.  We at CUPE Local 4318 remain hopeful that the Banff Centre will one day reopen fully, but we remain limited by the coronavirus and the ability to facilitate on site programming.”

CUPE launches letter campaign to MLAs

CALGARY – Almost six weeks after Health Minister Tyler Shandro claimed his government would give a $2/hour raise to health care aides in seniors’ facilities, many workers are still waiting for the raise to kick in.

CUPE Alberta, which represents over 5,000 health care workers across the province, unveiled a website today to ask MLAs to recognize the hard work of health care employees during the COVID-19 crisis. The website, www.supportfrontlineheroes.ca  includes a tool to send messages to Alberta MLAs.

President Rory Gill says the union launched the campaign because “CUPE members are tired of the disregard the Kenney government has shown for health care workers.”

“Other provinces have increased wages by over $4/hour, have been quicker to implement single staff rules, proper PPE, and other actions to keep everyone safe,” said Gill. “Here, the Kenney government has gone to war with doctors, made fake promises to workers, and dragged their heels on important safety standards.”

“This website allows our members and the public to let the UCP know we’re watching what they do, we know they are messing up, and we know they have broken all their promises.”

To send a message to your MLA in support of our front line workers, please click on picture below or go to www.supportfrontlineheroes.ca to sign: