OLDS — Members of the Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE) have seen their wages fall so far behind inflation that some are utilizing food banks, AUPE central region vice-president Darren Graham says.
Graham made that statement during a health-care rally held outside the Olds Hospital and Care Centre on July 23.
He said the union, one of several involved in bargaining with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the provincial government, has been offered a 7.5 per cent wage increase over four years.
“That’s not even taking into account the huge inflation increases that our members have seen and lived through,” he said during an interview with the Albertan.
Graham said when oil prices were low, his union recognized that and accepted zero per cent wage increases, but he said they’re now being “slapped in the face” by a proposed wage increase he said is less than the projected rate of inflation.
“They’re essentially asking us to take another pay cut, and our members can’t do it anymore,” Graham said. “We can’t make ends meet; we have members that go to the food bank.
“We have members in government that actually hand out AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) payments and actually make less than some AISH recipients.
“And it’s just not right. If you work full-time, you should be able to make ends meet, especially in a government job, and we can’t do that now.”
Graham said his members are taxpayers too and when they do well, they spend money in their communities, thus boosting those communities’ economies.
The July 23 rally was part of a series of Time For Action rallies being held across the province in July and August.
The rally included members of the AUPE, United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) and other unions -- some from Olds, some from Red Deer. They said their contracts expired this spring.
The Olds rally began at 11 a.m. About 25 people walked back and forth on the sidewalk along 57th Avenue chanting slogans and holding banners and signs. By 1 p.m., more than 60 people had filled out sign-up sheets.
The signs carried said things like, “Working For Peanuts In A Peanut-Free Zone, Who Takes Care Of The Caretakers? And Respect, Retain, Recruit.”
Slogans shouted included “there ain’t no power like the power of the people and the power of the people won’t stop,” “the workers, united, will never be defeated,” and ‘hey, hey, ho, ho, this disrespect has got to go.”
Some drivers passing by along 57th Avenue honked their horns in support, sparking cheers from rally participants each time.
“We invited everybody, because in solidarity we wanted everybody to show how serious we are,” said AUPE member Alicia Heit, who works in Olds and Red Deer.
Thomas Edwards, vice-president of Local 43, of the UNA who works in Olds said, “nurses are fleeing the profession” due to the stress of lack of staff versus wages.
“Alberta used to be number 1 in the country for wages for nurses. We are now number 4,” he said.
Another concern is that the provincial government is moving to privatize more aspects of health care.
The unions say that privatized health care leads to increased surgical wait times.
Edwards said the government’s spending on health care hasn’t kept up with the pace of people moving into Alberta.
Graham said although union reps are sitting down with employers to bargain new contracts, it appears that the real one pulling the strings – setting out the employers’ demands -- is the Alberta government.
“They are dictating what’s to be done at the negotiating table," he said.
“On the bigger tables, UNA, nursing care, our general support workers with AHS, they have people actually sitting at the table making sure that the employer – AHS in that case – is not stepping out of line on the mandate.”
The Albertan contacted representatives of AHS for comment. An AHS rep indicated interest in doing so but did not provide their side of the story by press time.
