A handful of protesters braved the heat today to bring their message to Cochrane at the corner of Highway 22 and Quigley Drive.
Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, led by Vice-President Bonnie Gostola took part in what she called a series of rotating appearances around the province, aimed at shining a light on what they consider long-overdue adjustments to wages.
Gostola said the ongoing talks on a new collective agreement with the 82,000-members and the province have been going slow since they started in the winter.
“We have members who live and work in this community who are fighting for a fair collective agreement,” she said. “We’re out here to show we’re ready to fight for a fair living wage.”
Gostola said recent increases in the cost of living have rendered these talks even more crucial than normal.
“We may have to take action to get a fair wage. We have members living in their cars, working for the province of Alberta, which is shameful,” she said.
“These are people who live and work in the community and support this community,” she said.
They did 54 townhalls across the province in June.
AUPE represents a variety of public servants across the province, like conservation officers, staff at the Bethany Care centre, other health care workers, and sheriffs, to name a few.
