An open letter to Calgary parents:
Each summer, thousands of families count on the City of Calgary’s recreation programs to keep our kids healthy, happy, and engaged. Day camps, parks education programs, and a variety of festivals and family-friendly events provide our children with opportunities to learn, grow, stay active, and be entertained.
We know how important these programs are. Why? Because not only are we the workers who deliver them, but we’re parents too. We count on summer programming for our kids just like you do.
That’s why we’re so worried about the summer ahead. City Hall is pushing CUPE Local 38 toward a strike, and the timing couldn’t be worse for parents looking to arrange affordable activities for their children this summer. It breaks our hearts to think of how many people could miss out, but we simply can’t afford to deliver these programs without fair pay.
Over the past five years, shelter and food costs in Alberta have risen 26%. Meanwhile, our wages have stayed the same. We’ve tried to find a middle-ground with the City of Calgary, but the decision-makers at City Hall refuse to offer a fair deal.
While a strike is a last resort, many months of bargaining and mediation have gone by without a fair offer. We’ve been backed into a corner, and we can’t afford not to stand our ground.
Make no mistake: CUPE 38 workers want to deliver recreation programs to Calgary families this summer. We take tremendous pride in delivering quality services that enhance the lives of Calgarians across the city. And we know how many families are counting on summer activities to keep their kids positively occupied.
We want summer to go well for families across the city, but we need your support to make sure we can deliver uninterrupted recreation programming.
Here’s what you can do to help: reach out to Calgary City Hall and express your concerns. Demand that they offer CUPE Local 38 members a fair deal. A fair deal for workers is a fair deal for Calgary.
Visit fairwages.ca and send an email to the decision-makers at City Hall right now. Together, let’s make the summer of 2024 the best it can be for workers and families across Calgary.
Sincerely,
D’Arcy Lanovaz
President
CUPE Local 38