The Town of Drumheller has reached an agreement with CUPE Local 135 for a four-year contract.
 Drumheller Town Council voted to ratify the agreement at its Monday, May 13 council meeting.
    “Council recognizes the hard work and contributions of our outside workers and we are happy that they recognize the difficult economy that we all face as individuals and taxpayers and have ratified an agreement that supports both the employees and taxpayer,” said Mayor Heather Colberg.
     The agreement is with the Outside Workers. These are employees in the infrastructure, facilities and water, wastewater business units. The agreement calls for a 1 per cent wage increase dating back to January 2019, and then an additional 0.65 per cent on July 1, 2019. There is a 1 per cent increase January 1, 2020, and then a 0.75 per cent increase on July 1, 2020. There is a 2 per cent increase in 2021 and a 2.5 per cent increase in 2022.
    Richard Tietge is the Local 135 president and says he is happy they have reached an agreement.
    “With these times it is just nice to see us keeping up with inflation,” he said. “We really didn’t get a raise we kept up the inflation.”
    “It was a hard fought battle, but we’re happy it was settled,” he said.  
    He said part of the rationale for a four-year agreement is negotiations would not be at the same time as a general municipal election.
    Corporate services director for the Town of Drumheller, Barb Miller, says the contract helps in the budgeting process.
 “Having a new 4-year contract in place that recognizes the value of employee efforts while maintaining fiscal balance, is great news for Drumheller. Knowing future labour costs, our single largest expense item, significantly improves the multi-year budgeting process,” she said.
     A press release from the Town of Drumheller further stated there are a number of other changes that will streamline operations and improve benefits for staff.
 “This agreement is in line with other settlements in Alberta over the last year. We are satisfied with the effort both the Town and CUPE Local 135 made to improve and modernize the Collective Agreement which recognizes recent changes in legislation and how we work together,” said CAO Darryl Drohomerski.

The Honourable Nathan Cooper was elected May 21, 2019, by his fellow MLAs to serve as the 14th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Speaker Cooper was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on May 5, 2015 and again on April 16, 2019 representing the constituency of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. He has served on several committees of the Legislative Assembly since he was first elected. He is an active community member and is also the proud father of three.

“Elected by the Members of the Assembly, the Speaker has a unique role maintaining order during the debates in the Chamber and ensuring that the rules set out in the Standing Orders are followed,” said Merwan Saher, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. “The Speaker also serves an administrative role as the head of the Legislative Assembly Office.”

“I am certain that Speaker Cooper, will excel in ensuring the Members of the Assembly have the tools and resources needed to fulfil their roles as elected representatives of the people of Alberta,” said Saher. “He brings a strong procedural knowledge to this prestigious role.”

Also elected to serve as presiding officers in the Assembly were Angela Pitt as Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees and Nicholas Milliken as Deputy Chair of Committees.

Mrs. Pitt is also serving her second term as an MLA representing Airdrie-East. She was previously a small business owner in Airdrie and an active volunteer in her community where she and her family reside.

Mr. Milliken, also an active community member and family man, was elected to his first term April 16, 2019 as the representative for Calgary-Currie.