Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton Region Employees Successfully Unionize with CUPE

Edmonton, AB [August 23, 2024] – Around 120 employees at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – Edmonton Region have officially unionized with the Canadian Union of Public Employees after a successful organizing drive that saw 85 percent of staff vote in favour of unionization.

There were 98 eligible voters, as some casual staff were ineligible to cast a ballot.

CMHA is the leading community mental health organization in the region, delivering key services in mental health support, education, training, wayfinding, and collective action to support individuals, families, communities, and the social sector.

CMHA Edmonton’s workers will now join CUPE Alberta’s membership of over 40,000 workers across the province.

“By coming together, CMHA Edmonton Region employees aim to strengthen our advocacy for mental health services and our own workplace needs,” said Briana Kroeker, a Shift Lead Crisis Services worker at CMHA and a member of the organizing committee.

This unionization effort, spearheaded by dedicated staff members, reflects their ongoing commitment to the mental health and well-being of both clients and colleagues. It also reflects their commitment to working collectively with colleagues throughout the province to achieve collective gains.

This successful unionization effort marks an important moment for mental health workers in Alberta, and CUPE Alberta looks forward to working with our new members to achieve our shared goals: winning better wages, providing quality services, and ensuring dignity for all.

Today, the union representing 10,000 school support workers served simultaneous notice to bargain to 41 school districts for the contracts of education workers. CUPE represents school administrative staff, educational assistants, custodial workers and other classifications in the school system.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill explained that the 41 different CUPE Locals have never engaged in this level of co-ordination, but said the notice represents an historic shift in the union’s approach.

“We’re not going to let the province pick us apart one school district at a time,” said Gill. “Our members are determined to get the respect they deserve.”

Gill said the average education worker in Alberta makes $34,000 a year. According to provincial government figures, Educational Assistants make only $27,000.

“Poverty level wages and a decade of losing ground to inflation has changed our approach,” said Gill. “Our locals are working together and will stand together as we fight for salaries that pay the rent.”

“Education workers play a key role in our schools,” said Gill. “But too many of them are working multiple jobs or relying upon the food bank. It’s shameful the lack of respect we pay to people with such a high level of responsibility and passion for students.”

Fresh snow and cold temperatures didn’t stop CUPE members from sending a message to Premier Danielle Smith about Alberta’s rising cost of living and stagnating wages. The crowd gathered outside Smith’s Medicine Hat constituency office. Members called on the premier to address the cost-of-living crisis by investing in public services and ending restrictive mandates that are keeping workers’ wage increases well below inflation.

Over 200 attendees heard impassioned speeches from front-line workers about the toll low wages and understaffing are taking on their lives. Several leaders from other unions, including HSAA, AUPE and the Alberta Federation of Labour spoke about the common struggle that all workers in Alberta are facing and the need to take on Danielle Smith and the UCP together. CUPE National President Mark Hancock finished with a fiery speech about the major fights CUPE members have taken on in other provinces in the past few years, “the next stop,” he concluded, “is right here in Alberta.”