EDMONTON – In a letter to the Premier, Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan revealed that the UCP government left $60 million in funding intended to help Alberta parents with childcare. Budget estimate debates at the Alberta Legislature revealed this omission earlier in March.

“There are so many financial pressures on working Albertans today,” said McGowan. “We can’t believe that the UCP would leave tens of millions of dollars in federal relief on the table for no reason other than to spite the federal government.”

In his letter, McGowan noted that an estimated 4,000 childcare workers left the field during the pandemic. Furthermore, Alberta childcare workers make just $18.56 an hour on average. These issues could have been remedied with the $60 million in federal funds, suggested McGowan.

“Rightly or wrongly, I think it’s fair to say most Albertans think Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supports Alberta childcare more than the UCP,” wrote McGowan. “I urge you to recognize the importance of our childcare system and the people who work in it. I urge you to properly fund the system and give early childhood educators a raise.”

McGowan’s correspondence is attached as background.

MEDIA CONTACT:
John Ashton
Director of Communications, AFL
E-mail: jashton@afl.org