UCP government to blame for more job losses at SAIT, AUPE says
Posted Sep 28, 2020 10:59 am.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – More job losses have been reported at a Calgary post-secondary school.
According to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), 13 union positions were cut at SAIT’s Alumni department along with seven non-union jobs last week.
In a release, AUPE blames cuts from the United Conservative government for the job losses.
“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on post-secondary education,” said AUPE Vice-President Bobby-Joe Borodey. “The wounds to post-secondary education were inflicted by this UCP government long before the pandemic, and just when one scar heals, another cut comes.”
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SAIT has already cut over 60 AUPE positions and projects 230 more jobs could be lost in the future as a result of the fall 2019 budget.
“SAIT is Alberta’s third-largest post-secondary institution, but thanks to the UCP it’s bleeding jobs,” said Borodey. “I wonder how Premier Kenney expects post-secondary institutions to run smoothly and work on technology development programs given all the employees whose jobs he’s killing.”
Over the past several months, other post-secondary schools, including the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University and Red Deer College, have announced job cuts.