Labor union members and community organizers gathered in Stettler on Saturday for a rally targeting Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP government over healthcare, education, and labor rights.
The “Day of Protest,” held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the four-way stop near 47 Ave & 50 St, follows similar demonstrations by the Alberta Federation of Labour earlier this year.
Organizers say the rally is designed to mobilize rural Albertans against what they describe as government overreach beyond the UCP’s electoral mandate.
Key grievances include opposition to healthcare privatization, public school funding levels, and potential provincial withdrawals from the Canada Pension Plan and the RCMP.
Rally materials also cite concerns over headwater coal mining proposals, stagnant wage growth, and the government’s willingness to invoke the Charter’s Notwithstanding Clause in labor disputes.
Similar demonstrations were held in more than a dozen other Alberta communities on Saturday.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
