EDMONTON – Alberta workers’ optimism about the future is key to Alberta’s economic recovery, but after three years of chaos and gloom under a UCP government they distrust, workers are tired and fed up.
They are tired of a government that puts its ideological agenda ahead of Albertans’ everyday needs.
They are tired of a government that takes away worker health and safety in favour of higher profits for private corporations.
They are tired of a government that gives away billions of dollars on a failed pipeline and tax cuts to large, profitable corporations that have failed to create long-term jobs.
They are tired of a government that criticizes frontline health care workers earning a decent wage. They are fed up with UCP experiments when it comes to their retirement security, whether it’s the CPP or their workplace pension.
They are tired of the resource-revenue rollercoaster of dizzying highs and dismal lows of the provincial budget. They are tired of unpredictable and unsustainable funding for public services, like health care and education, while oil and gas companies reap windfall profits without creating jobs.
If this government is sincere about building an economy that works for workers, then it would look beyond unstable non-renewable resource revenues and support public services like health care and education with much-needed revenue reform. A true economic recovery would be supported by a government that works with the labour movement to expand workplace rights and safety, support good jobs, and meaningfully address Albertans’ skyrocketing costs of living.
All of this takes selfless leadership that puts Alberta’s long-term interests over short-term political survival. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, we did not see this in today’s Speech from the Throne.
Instead, we heard a message of short-term thinking from a government that has put its own survival ahead of the household and workplace interests of Alberta workers.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Ramona Franson
Director of Communications, AFL
rfranson@afl.org