The latest protest staged by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees received a lot of attention and support on Sunday afternoon despite the snowy weather.

They marched in protest of the latest Provincial Government cuts to jobs and services in Alberta on Sunday, December 22 at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre.

AUPE Vice President, Karen Weiers says the sentiment is shared by AUPE members across the province.

'We are speaking out in regards to the direct attack by this UCP - Kenney government and what we're seeing, what we're feeling, and what we're hearing."

Weiers says the AUPE has some large concerns with the perceived attack by the UCP government on jobs and services Albertans rely on.

"The biggest concern is that he is attacking our jobs, he's attacking our livelihoods, he's attacking these members benefits and most importantly he's attacking the services that Albertans rely on time and time again, and those services are provided by these front line workers."

She says the protest held in Okotoks was just one of many.

"The members are very angry across the province, demonstrations like this have been happening across the province since the summer when Bill 9 came out, when he attacked our contracts." said Weiers. "This is a result of that and now their coming out with loss of jobs in AUPE alone of 5900 jobs ."

According to Weiers, the AUPE is hoping the protests will get Jason Kenney and the UCP government to hear their concerns and pay attention to the crisis the cuts have created in Alberta.

"We hope to accomplish that he will listen, not only hear us, but see us. We are Albertans too and the fact that as a government he is attacking the services we provide, attacking our livelihood and our jobs, and that's where the anger comes from." said Weiers.

Weiers said these cuts to front line workers does not benefit anyone but big business in the way of tax breaks.

"We have the lowest GDP and we have the lowest debt in Canada and the UCP is not telling us that." said Weiers "Once again we see him working with corporations and not only giving big tax benefits to these huge corporations, now we see him giving profits to these huge corporations as well, again off the backs of these workers." said Weiers.

 

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