For immediate release: Thursday, April 22, 2004

CALGARY — The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is holding a Pre-Election Seminar in Calgary tomorrow to encourage members to become active in the political process.

The second all-day political “boot camp” — the first was held in Edmonton on April 16 — will feature several speakers who have either run political campaigns or participated as members of candidates’ election teams.

Ron Whan, AUPE Vice-President and Chair of the union’s Committee on Political Action says the objective behind the April 23 seminar is to mobilize the membership of Alberta’s largest union to impact change at all levels of Canadian politics.

“We’re attempting to let people know that there’s more ways to become politically active than being a candidate,” said Whan. “Much of the hard work done on campaigns is done by faceless people in the trenches.
“If AUPE is going to become a force to be reckoned with politically, we cannot rely on the same handful of voices — we need to rely on the 58,000-strong membership.”

Speakers will include Liberal Party Leader Kevin Taft, Calgary Alderman Joe Ceci, Fort Saskatchewan City Councillor Don Westman and Innisfail Town Councillor Jason Heistad. Both Westman and Heistad are also AUPE members.

AUPE President Dan MacLennan is returning from vacation on Friday and will be available for media interviews following the seminar, which is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Village Park Inn, 1804 Crowchild Trail NW.

MacLennan will also attend a meeting of the AUPE Local 003 Council, also scheduled for Friday at AUPE’s nearby Calgary office, 600, 1816 Crowchild Trail N.W. Local 003 represents employees of the province’s Correctional and Regulatory Services.

For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-232-8392 (cellular phone)
Ron Whan, Vice-President, AUPE, 403-380-9862 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or
780-717-2943 (cellular phone)