OLDS — Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), and several other unions held a rally just outside the Olds Hospital and Care Centre on Tuesday, July 23.
It was part of a series of Time For Action rallies being held across the province in July and August.
The 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.
Representatives of AUPE and UNA participants – some from Olds, some from Red Deer, said their contracts expired this spring.
“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 said.
Participants who spoke to the Albertan said their wages can’t keep up with the cost of living, so they want that addressed.
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.
Darren Graham, vice-president of AUPE’s central region, 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 (Alberta Health Services) 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.”
"We’re basically here to let the public know and to let our fellow workers know what we’re fighting for, what we’re going to the table with. If they have any questions they can come," said AUPE vice chairJesse Philp of Red Deer.
"It's more of an awareness-type picket rally," Philp said.
Alicia Heidt, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) works in Olds and Red Deer agreed.
"It’s not a strike," she said.
“We wanted to bring all the unions together, because we’re all in negotiations right now. We’re all negotiating our new contracts,” Philp said.
“That’s why we decided to bring everybody together, because it’s not going well.”
