UCP government proposes wage cut to AUPE workers says union president

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The provincial government is about to go toe-to-toe with Alberta’s largest public-sector union.

According to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), the province has proposed a wage rollback of one per cent followed by three years of wage freezes.

The union said it countered with a two-year proposal which includes a two-and-a-half per cent cost of living increase.

In a release, AUPE President Guy Smith said the government’s plan is an act of revenge, not a rational argument.

“It is clear that these proposals are not based on evidence or need, but on the government’s ideological commitment to attack us and the work we do. Here we see the government punishing us for getting a minimal raise by seeking to take it away immediately.”

WATCH: Alberta unions rally against budget cuts

Finance Minister Travis Toews said the government needs to align wages with other provinces.

“Public sector wages account for more than half of government expenses. The facts are clear across many occupations in the public service: wages are significantly higher than those in other large provinces. Workers also enjoy compensation benefits that are not found in, or significantly more generous than, contracts in other provinces. Holding the line on public sector compensation will ensure workers continue to receive competitive wages while showing needed respect to other Albertans who have seen their wages disappear or their jobs lost completely.”

Following the provincial budget last October, the UCP government asked arbitrators to propose a two per cent wage cut to AUPE workers.

Toews said there’s no room in the provincial budget for wage increases and warned there could be major job losses if raises are given.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today