CUPE calls for government to take action for safe drinking water

Marle Roberts, Alberta president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, is calling on the government to take action as over two-thirds of Alberta’s First Nations communities have boil water advisories. “As the union for most municipal water workers in Alberta, we understand the importance of safe drinking water, and we’re appalled at the situation,” said Roberts in a news release. Roberts said the federal government should not require First Nations to cover one-fifth of the cost of operating water systems. “Twenty percent doesn’t sound like much, but if a community is in dire poverty, it’s huge,” said Roberts. “Ironically, factors like poor drinking water contribute to the poverty these communities endure.”