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AUPE members rally in Ponoka to ask for respectful, living wages

AUPE vice president, central zone, says some full-time employed members have to use a food bank to make ends meet

Public sector workers in Ponoka stood together to say they are fed up with being disrespected at the negotiating table during a rally in Rotary Park on Thursday, July 25. 

The rally, organized by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), was attended by AUPE, United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) and Health Sciences Association of Alberta members.

The general consensus being expressed was that Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Alberta government are refusing to offer a realistic, living wage and to acknowledge the challenges facing public sector workers as being disrespectful to those frontline workers.

"We're at the table with the employer (AHS) and the employer is dragging their feet," said Jesse Philp, chair of Local 044  Auxiliary Nursing Care.

"They're not recognizing any of the proposals we've put forward."

Philp explained those at the rally wanted the public, their co-workers and the government to know that they're "fed up" and tired of the disrespect. 

Darren Graham, AUPE vice president of the central regional, echoed Philp, saying the government hasn't kept up with inflation and members aren't currently making a living wage.

He said members are suffering financially and they're are not being heard at the negotiating table. 

"We do have some members that have to turn to the food bank to get by," said Graham, adding these are full-time, long-term employees. 

"They support some of the most vulnerable but they're making less than some of those they're giving benefits to."

He gave an example of a member who has been working in the public sector in a kitchen for 38 years and is currently making $20.02 an hour. When that person first started, they were making three times the minimum wage. If that compensation rate had continued, they should be making $45 an hour now.

According to Graham, the government is currently proposing a 7.5 per cent wage increase for public sector employees over four years and AUPE is asking for 25 per cent. 

Graham said while their ask may seem high, "that's a starting point," and putting it into perspective, employees have effectively lost 12 per cent to inflation over the last decade. 

"Essentially, they're making 12 per cent less on the dollar than they did 10 years ago," said Graham. 

"They need to make ends meet," he said, adding UNA is also asking for a 25 per cent increase. 

Graham noted when public sector workers make a living wage, they spend money locally, directly supporting the local economy.

Philp, an LPN, said they're just asking to be treated fairly.

She explained that LPNs are licensed to do about 87 per cent of what RNs can do, yet they are only paid maybe 63 per cent of what RNs are. 

However, when AHS brought in more nurse practitioners to deal with the doctor shortages, AHS said as NPs could do 80 per cent of what doctors can, they should be paid accordingly, said Philp. 

"They don't treat us the same," said Philp. 

"I just want to be treated with the respect I deserve."

Graham claimed the government is controlling all negotiations with AUPE, as a government representative is always present, making sure the government mandate is being adhered to.

"We're seeing mandates like that being pushed through all sectors," said Graham, adding that engagement with union members is not happening. 

He said when AUPE can't even talk about how their members are hurting at these negotiations, "It has a chilling effect."

Graham said even government officials he's spoken to don't seem to be aware of what's happening during negotiations.

"There's a disconnect there by what even the politicians are being told," he said. 

Graham added members also need mental health benefits and support, as they're suffering every day with staff shortages, and burnout and suicide are real issues affecting their members.

"I work in the ER and I see the burnout, the stress," said Philp.

When rural health care centres are under too much pressure, it also pushes people to move to cities, which in turn overburdens urban centres, said Graham. 

"We need to tackle it rurally ... we have great rural centres, we just need to focus on staffing them properly."

Graham said the government bringing in travelling nurses to deal with staffing shortages isn't the answer either. 

It's a "short-term gap" measure that is a "form of privatization," he said.

Travelling nurses, brought in from B.C. or the States, often aren't fully trained or have an understanding of the facility, which causes more workload, not less, for local employees, he said. 

The travelling nurses are are also often paid far more than local nurses, and receive compensation for travel, accommodations and meals, Graham said. 

"This is all money that should be invested locally to recruit and train local staff and create a respectful environment," said Graham. 

"When privatization happens, it hurts rural Alberta."

READ MORE: In-house laundry services at Ponoka’s Centennial Centre shut down

Graham points to the loss of health care laundry services in Ponoka  in 2021 as an example of the harmful impacts of privatization. 

The 50 jobs lost when in-house laundry services were shut down "had an effect on Ponoka as well," he said.

The result has been a far less superior service, said Graham, stating there has been an increase of foreign objects and soiled items such as used diapers and other debris coming back in the cleaned laundry. 

"It's absolutely disgusting," said Graham. "(It's a) sanitary concern as well."

Graham said the rallies happening now across Alberta are the result of recent town halls that were hosted by AUPE across the province. 

For more information about the AUPE rallies, visit aupe.org/supportpublicservices. 



Emily Jaycox

About the Author: Emily Jaycox

I'm a reporter for Ponoka News and have lived in Ponoka since 2015.
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