Bonnie Gostola, vice president with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) speaks during a rally in downtown Red Deer on Friday. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

"please stop the cuts"

Unions rally in Red Deer against ‘damaging’ provincial government actions

Oct 23, 2020 | 2:43 PM

Union reps and other concerned citizens gathered in downtown Red Deer during the noon hour Friday to call out the provincial government for cuts and changes to health care, AISH and education, among other things.

The rally attended by about 100 people was organized by the Red Deer chapter of The Council of Canadians, a grassroots community action group with 60 branches across the country.

Bonnie Gostola, Vice President for the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), said the United Conservative government must stop lining the pockets of corporate bosses and start showing more respect to people who make up the backbone of Alberta.

“It’s time they understand that these Albertans, whether they are persons with developmental disabilities, or one of our lower paid health care employees, these are taxpaying Albertans,” said Gostola. “They work very hard and are heroes every single day, and we’re really sick of this government deciding this is the part of the population they want to attack.”

ATA Local 60 President Kelly Aleman lamented documents leaked to the press this week suggesting some concerning updates to the province’s education curriculum.

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Aleman said government decisions such as appointing Dr. Chris Champion to the province’s curriculum review panel, prove the teachers of today are not being consulted.

“He has a prior history of these types of views that were highly publicized,” stated Aleman, referring to publications by Champion which he described teaching about residential schools as a ‘fad.’ “They knew what they were getting into, so this latest article comes out and they seem to want to distance themselves from those findings, which is good. But it makes you wonder if you can believe them or not.”

Aleman said that even suggesting the word ‘equity’ be removed from the curriculum is off-base, and that teaching grade one students about ancient Rome instead of Indigenous residential schools would be a major mistake. He wholeheartedly disagrees with any notion that younger students are too emotionally vulnerable to learn about such a topic.

“It is quite concerning and confusing,” he added.

Organizers of a rally in downtown Red Deer Friday afternoon put up a temporary digital billboard reading ‘Red Deer Rising.’ (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Chris D’Lima, chair of The Council of Canadians’ Red Deer chapter, says the government’s actions are especially concerning during a pandemic.

“I would say to Premier Kenney that we are going to keep at it. Stop the cuts. Please stop the cuts, because you’ve caused enough damage and we don’t need this,” D’Lima remarked. “It appears they want to privatize everything, but why? Public services, as soon as you privatize them, you need money to pay those entities, and where does that come from? It comes from workers’ wages.”

Gostola reiterated that the UCP’s ideological methods are hurting Albertans.

“We’re not afraid, even during a pandemic, to stand up and continue fighting for Albertans. We’re at the end of our rope,” she admitted. “I absolutely have no confidence in any of the ministers serving this province. It doesn’t matter where they’re pointing their gun, every time this government takes a shot, they’re hitting an Albertan.”

RELATED: Advisers suggest Alberta students not learn about residential schools before Grade 4