EDMONTON – Alberta is in the midst of an historic election campaign – and the province’s largest union organization is encouraging its members to take full advantage of the moment.
“For the first time in more than 30 years, a Conservative victory is not a foregone conclusion,” says Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan.
“It’s at times like these that citizens can really flex their democratic muscles – and demand more from politicians. That’s exactly what we’re encouraging our members to do.”
As part of the AFL’s “Show Us the Plan” campaign, unions affiliated to the Federation will mail or hand deliver leaflets to between 120,000 and 130,000 union households across the province.
The leaflets – along with the campaign website, www.ShowUsThePlan.ca – make the case that the Stelmach Conservatives have failed to articulate a clear vision for Alberta’s oil-sands-driven economy.
The campaign also shows that the Conservatives have failed to adequately address pressing problems like the rising cost of living; our province’s crumbling infrastructure and over-burdened public services, and the potential for thousands of Alberta jobs to be “shipped down the pipeline” to upgraders and refineries in the United States.
“This election is pivotal for the future of our province,” says McGowan. “We want our members to understand the importance of the issues and the important roll they have as voters in setting the future direction for our province.”
The campaign’s central leaflet reminds voters of the track records of both the Klein and Stelmach governments and concludes that political change is healthy and long overdue in Alberta.
“Albertans may look back on this election as the time they started blazing a new path for the 21st century,” says McGowan. “We want to encourage our members to seize this moment and help lead the way toward a new and better Alberta.”
The Show Us the Plan campaign is separate from – but complementary to – the Albertans for Change campaign that the AFL is co-sponsoring with the Alberta Building Trades Council and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
More events associated with the AFL campaign are planned over the next two and a half weeks. Details of these events will be announced in stages over the next week to ten days. Click here for the town halls scheduled for Fort McMurray (February 27th), Hinton (February 28th), Calgary (February 29th), and Edmonton (March 1st).
“It’s important to note that in all of our campaign efforts, we’re not trying to tell people who to vote for.” says McGowan. “What we’re trying to do instead is provide our members with the tools they need to cast informed ballots. We are convinced that, together, Albertans can turn up the heat on our politicians and get better government and a better future in return.”
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For more information contact:
Gil McGowan, AFL President @ 780.483-3021 (office) or 780.218-9888 (cell)