AFL is planning a province-wide May 29th Day of Protest to bring together all people who are upset with any actions the Alberta government has taken in their time in power. It’s part of the larger Fight Back Now campaign.It is important for our members to know that this will be a lunch time protest and not involve any time away from work – Your union strongly encourages you to keep to your assigned shifts and ask for time away from work through the proper methods to attend this event, if needed.
The Goal of this event is to publicly demonstrate that a vast number of Albertans do not support the government on a huge number of issues, show solidarity with fellow Albertans, and demand accountability from elected officials. The protest will be taking place in Grand Prairie, Fort McMurray, Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat simultaneously.
The location of the event in Calgary is still being determined, but will be posted as soon as your local is informed.
In the meantime, the organizing committee is running weekly meetings for anyone interested in learning more, volunteering, or helping organize. These are being held every Wednesday, from 7 – 8 pm via Zoom. Here’s the Meeting ID: 871 6017 6346 and Passcode: 452445, which will be the same every week, if you want to attend (or know anyone who might).
Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday observed on the last Monday preceding May 25 to honour Queen Victoria, who is known as the “Mother of Confederation”. The holiday has existed in Canada since at least 1845, originally on Victoria’s natural birthday, May 24.
Learn more about Victoria Day
To mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, CUPE renews its commitment to fighting for the safety of 2SLGBTQI+ persons at work and in our communities.
Learn more about International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
International Day of Families is observed annually on May 15. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, this day aims to raise awareness of issues affecting families and promote the social, economic, and demographic processes that impact them.
Learn more about the International Day of Families
Bill 28, the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, is an omnibus bill introduced by the current UCP government with the goal of changing municipal rules, circumventing the municipal housing approvals process, and increasing provincial government control of libraries regarding what it deems “explicit materials”. It has been widely criticized by civil society organizations, community groups, municipalities as well as unions.
Your union is deeply troubled by this new piece of legislation, both on its impacts to our members, municipalities as well as the broader communities that we serve.
CUPE has shared its fears about how this bill will impact library workers who will have to make sense of the confusing, vague, and problematic legislation, and how it will require the physical segregation of library materials the government deems “explicit” . For more information on how this new bill will affect libraries and our members please see statements by CUPE Alberta at their website.
As many members have read on Bookmarked, Our Library system is part of a group called CAP Libraries (CAP Libraries or The Coalition of Alberta Public Libraries, was formed as an offshoot of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, An advocacy group for municipal governments) which has also expressed its concerns with this bill.
What can we do?
Members can share their concerns about this legislation with their MLAs. CAP Libraries has launched a handy online form letter to help express concerns around Bill 28 to the Premier, Minister, and local MLAs. It just takes a few minutes. You can access the digital postcard here.
CUPE is constantly lobbying the current government to change or scrap this, as well as many other pieces of problematic legislation. You can sign up for CUPE Albert updates at CUPE Alberta.
Members can also attend rallies and let their powerful voices be heard by the government. There will be several rallies upcoming that will be listed on our website. Your executive will be attending, and encourages you to attend, if you are able, as well.
Talk about it.
It still might surprise our informed members that some citizens have not even heard about this legislation. Members are encouraged to talk about this bill and its implications with their social circles. We can get the word out and get people to pay attention to what is a very important problem.
In Solidarity, CUPE Local 1169 Executive Committee
Click on the above image to read article. The Alberta government is engaged in significant reforms that strike at the foundation of public health care in Canada. Multiple legislative and policy changes encourage greater for-profit surgical outsourcing, opening the door to for-profit hospital ownership, and dismantling the provincial health authority and fragmenting health care delivery. But it is Bill 11 that stands out above all.
A few hundred hardy souls rallied for Canada Saturday morning at city hall in -20 temperatures as ‘Alberta is Canada’ celebrations were held in Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat. It was a grassroots response to the province’s separatist movement. One of the event’s organizers was Indigenous advocate Nicole Johnston. “Today, we are gathered here in unity to bring people together, to show what unity really looks like and to stand in solidarity with the (First Nation) treaties,“ she said. Johnston said Alberta separatist advocates have underestimated what would be involved with an actual attempt at separation. “I just want to keep emphasizing to the fact that the treaties play a real vital role here, and it’s the treaties that are at the main forefront of this,” Johnston said.
Ashley Bauer, our treasurer and other Local 1169 members braved the frigid temperature to support a united Alberta.
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.”