Fort McMurray unions mark Labour Day weekend with fights in opposition to inflation, stagnant wages

Article content material

Inflation and the excessive costs of groceries, housing, utilities and different essential wants are prime priorities for Fort McMurray’s unions forward of the Labour Day lengthy weekend. In upcoming months, labour teams throughout Alberta will start campaigns for options to those points, in addition to greater wages and improved job safety.

Article content material

“Staff want higher from their employers and their governments by way of wages to maintain up with inflation, by way of providers which have been underfunded for too lengthy and are falling aside, and by way of a method for coping with a altering international economic system,” stated Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, in an interview. “Staff demand higher and we are going to. We’re not not within the temper to accept much less.”

Article content material

Danielle Danis, president of CUPE Native 2559, says stagnant wages and excessive residing prices have compelled many members to take second jobs. She is aware of different members who’ve gone bankrupt or misplaced their properties. She suspects there are a lot of extra members in comparable struggles that haven’t come ahead out of embarrassment.

Article content material

“All of this makes it laborious to keep up wholesome employees and persuade folks to remain in the neighborhood,” stated Danis. “Many people haven’t had an curiosity in our wages in lots of, a few years.”

Native 2559 represents 460 academic assistants, administrative employees, and custodial and upkeep employees with the Fort McMurray Catholic Faculty Division. It additionally represents daycare employees at Eagle Ridge Nest. Different CUPE Native’s in Fort McMurray signify employees on the public college district, Keyano Faculty and the Regional Municipality of Wooden Buffalo (RMWB).

The Native representing RMWB employees lately made an settlement with the municipality. Danis anticipates many negotiations throughout Alberta this yr can be powerful fights as wages take precedence.

Article content material

“I’m hoping for the most effective and fearing the worst, however I do know lots of Locals throughout the province really feel the identical method,” she stated. “So far as the economic system is worried, I’m hoping inflation tapers off and rates of interest go down.”

Dirk Tolman, president of Unifor 707A, has been making ready since February for upcoming bargaining talks with Suncor. 707A represents employees at Suncor’s base plant and Firebag operations, and SMS. Members have been principally spared from Suncor’s current layoffs, though it has ripple results throughout the corporate. 707A

Driverless vehicles and different types of automation is a priority for a lot of members, although. Brief-term and long-term calls for for fossil fuels additionally has members nervous about their jobs. Tolman personally believes the oilsands can be viable economically for many years, however a drop in international demand is inevitable.

Article content material

“Auto corporations aren’t going to be making lots of inner combustion engines quickly. They’ve made that aim fairly clear,” he stated. “There’s a number of questions on the place the employees will go and what they may do long-term. There are these of us who will retire and a complete bunch of employees that can be ignored within the chilly. As a labour motion we have to take note of that.”

McGowan criticized Premier Danielle Smith for her six-month moratorium on approving wind and photo voltaic initiatives. Smith argues surging curiosity in renewable power initiatives means Alberta’s power and land use insurance policies want updating. Her critics, together with McGowan, say the transfer scares buyers and places jobs in danger.

“This isn’t good for power employees. Most Albertans would agree it’s higher to plan and put together for change reasonably than stick our heads within the sand,” stated McGowan. “This places us vulnerable to being left behind as the remainder of the world strikes ahead.”

Get the information in your inbox each Friday morning by signing up for our publication.

[email protected]

Article content material