For immediate release: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003

CALGARY — Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees who work directly for the provincial government will hold information pickets at noon today in Calgary, Grande Prairie, Peace River, High Prairie and Slave Lake.

AUPE President Dan MacLennan will be at the information picket in Calgary as members show their support for a fair wage increase in the current round of bargaining.

Noon-hour information pickets by direct government employees, members of AUPE Locals 001 to 012, will be held at the following times locations today:

• Calgary — Near Court of Queen’s Bench Building, 4th Street SW — Noon.
  
• Grande Prairie — Provincial Building — Noon.
  
• Peace River — MLA Gary Friedel’s office, 9811 – 100th Street — Noon.
  
• High Prairie — Main Street near courthouse — Noon.
  
• Slave Lake — Lakeland Building — Noon.

Tomorrow — Thursday, Dec. 4 — noon-hour information pickets by direct government employees will be held at the following locations:

• Edmonton — Near main courthouse, Sir Winston Churchill Square — Noon.
  
• Edmonton — Neil Crawford Centre — 7003 – 113 Street (South Side) — Noon.
  
• Red Deer — Michener Centre — 11 a.m.
  
• Red deer — Provincial Building — Noon.
  
• Medicine Hat — Provincial Building — Noon.
  
• Lethbridge — Provincial Building — Noon.
  
• n St. Paul — Provincial Building — Noon.

The aim of the information pickets is to show the employer clearly that the government’s approximately 20,000 employees are fed up and frustrated by the employer’s claim that a one-per-cent pay increase is adequate and fiscally responsible, MacLennan says.

AUPE’s position of a six-per-cent increase is modest and reasonable in light of the soaring cost of living in Alberta, he adds.

MacLennan will be available for media interviews at the Calgary information picket today. To arrange an interview, media should call MacLennan on his cellular phone — 780-232-8392.

Direct employees of the Alberta government include administrative staff, fish and wildlife officers, social workers, technologists, court officials and others.

For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-232-8392 (NOTE: NEW cellular phone number)
Jim Petrie, Union Representative, AUPE, 780-930-3335 or 780-919-4415 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)