October 26, 2020

Via email: [email protected]

Guy Smith, President

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)

Solidarity Place Edmonton

10451 170 St. NW

Edmonton, AB, T5P 4S7

Dear AUPE President Guy Smith,

Re: Solidarity with Alberta workers

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU), with its more than 80,000 members, stand in solidarity with all workers in their fight to protect public healthcare in your province.

The BCGEU calls on the Alberta government to immediately stop their risky plan to cut jobs in the middle of a pandemic and strip workers of their collectively bargained rights.

Premier Jason Kenney’s government once called these workers heroes, but now they are showing that those words were empty rhetoric. We fully support AUPE members taking direct action to bring attention to the Alberta government’s dangerous privatization plan.

The fight to protect public healthcare is not contained to one province or one union. We hope that the entire labour movement, and civil society in Canada, will stand united in support of the brave direct action taken by AUPE workers to protect the services people in Alberta are counting on.

Your neighbours to the west are here to support in any way we can. Should workers in Alberta need anything we can help with, please do not hesitate to call, or get in touch with us at the BCGEU.

The labour movement was founded on the principle of an injury to one being an injury to all, and we are proud to continue this tradition.

Wishing you nothing but success in your fight to safeguard Alberta’s healthcare system for generations to come.

In solidarity,

Stephanie Smith                                                                                               Paul Finch

President                                                                                                            Treasurer

Kari Michaels                                                                                                    Doug Kinna

Executive Vice President                                                                               Executive Vice President

Joanna Lord                                                                                                      James Coccola

Executive Vice President                                                                               Executive Vice President

cc            Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, via email

               Tyler Shandro, Alberta Minister of Health, via email

Download a PDF of the letter here.

UWU/MoveUP