Sandra Azocar, who started working for the Alberta Government as a child protection worker in 1987, has been elected president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
The 59-year-old Chilean-born union activist, AUPE’s executive vice-president since 2021, defeated longtime President Guy Smith on the second ballot in voting at AUPE’s annual convention in Edmonton this morning. Another AUPE VP, Bonnie Gostola, also campaigned for the union’s top job.
Ms. Azocar said later that she hoped to “hit the ground running to ensure our members get the recognition and respect for the work they do on behalf of Albertans every day.”
“We hope to focus on AHS bargaining while supporting all the other tables we are currently bargaining, she added.
However, AUPE has no plans to rejoin national and provincial labour organizations like the Canadian Labour Congress, Ms. Azocar said. AUPE was suspended from the “House of Labour” in 2002 during a dispute over membership raids on CUPE Alberta health care locals and formally disaffiliated in 2006.
“No, our members have been clear that although we understand the need to work shoulder-to-shoulder with our labour allies, joining the House of Labour is not the direction that we will be pursuing.”
Ms. Azocar served as a vice-president of the province’s largest union from 2006 until 2012, when she became executive director of Friends of Medicare.
For close to a decade at Friends of Medicare, she became a familiar face to Albertans as spokesperson for the organization, which is frequently in the news advocating vigorously for the protection and enhancement of publicly funded, publicly delivered universal health care in Alberta.
Back at AUPE in 2021, Ms. Azocar was elected again as a vice-president and has served in that role since then. She has also served as chair of two AUPE standing committees, Pay and Social Equity and the Women’s Committee. She is a member of AUPE’s Local 6, which represents social services workers directly employed by the Alberta Government.
Ms. Azocar was among the approximately 8,000 Chileans who took refuge in Canada in the 1970s after the violent military coup in that South American country. She arrived in Canada with her family in 1975.
Mr. Smith, 63, AUPE’s longest-serving president, has held that office since 2009, winning election by delegates to the union’s annual convention seven consecutive times and becoming one of the best-known figures in Alberta’s labour movement. He is also a member of Local 6.
The change in leadership comes a week before Licensed Practical Nurses and Health Care Aides represented by AUPE are scheduled to begin taking a strike vote.
With approximately 95,000 members, AUPE is Alberta’s largest union and among the 10 largest unions in Canada.
NOTE: This story was updated with quotes from Ms. Azocar on Oct. 25. Guy Smith is 63, not 65 as stated earlier. DJC
The HCAs are voting as well.
My, oh, my, what a gong show this UCP government is. What a literal (I won’t use a foul compound word on here, because what if a youngster were reading this) the UCP are. Ms. Azocar is from Chile, so she would know a thing or two about dictatorships. I’ve also heard about what goes on in Mexico and in the Philippines, so it won’t surprise me if the UCP were to go that far.
I wonder what foul compound word you were thinking of … fecal exhibition, perhaps lol? Maternal fornicators?
Settle down, Jerry. DJC
Sounds like the right person at the right time to represent Alberta’s LPNs. Congratulations to Sandra Azocar.
This is a very important time for union leaders in Alberta, with an anti-labour UCP government and Smith’s abysmal handling of the Teachers’ strike coming to an ugly head with her use of the “Notwithstanding” Legislation against them. (“Against” is the operative word.)
It could be a very timely change-up with Azocar head of AUPE. I have been watching her for years. She is tough, passionate, and knows how to engage all kinds of people and groups. Although her duties will be very clear to her vis a vis the Union she has a natural ability for outreach and all her different experiences and background put her at another level. She isn’t just about slogans and flag-waving- she really walks the walk. I think Azocar will be the woman of the hour.
This old bird and her husband are no strangers to the fight for social justice, albeit on our own tiny scale. But every once in a while along comes a leader who has abilities to galvanize a broad coalition. After having some dealings with Sandra Azocar some years ago my husband said,” I used to say, if you want something done, ask a busy person. Now I say, if you want something done, ask a busy woman”. VERY high accolades, coming from him!
I wonder if this has anything to do with the pathetic contract that GoA workers had to settle for? Mind you, the membership’s cowardly vote for it didn’t help either.
Well written. What a terrible way to vote… Poor on all accounts from turn out to meek and feeble minds…
The Union let it drag on 17 months past the expiry of the old agreement beating people into submission and also let them split the membership into people that actually got a real bump in pay and those that didn’t. A total failure of organized labour on AUPE’s part. They should have been on strike in 2024.
I wonder that as well
Dani does distractions in Dallas! Skip the Dishes!
I was at the Convention when this election was held and it was a surprise for sure. I know her biography and I have met her and the impression I have is that she is a passionate defender of a publicly funded health care system. While the UCP will go after her(as they have done with every president)I think that she and the Executive will fight back very vigorously.