EXCERPT
A local union has been calling on the provincial and federal government to help families with the burden of childcare.
According to the Alberta Federation of Labour everyone would benefit from more women in the workforce.
“We’ve just elected a premier that addressed the idea that she wants her caucus to be half female and our workforce should also be half female,” AFL secretary-treasurer Siobhán Vipond said.
“One of the biggest barriers to getting women into the job market is childcare- quality childcare, assessable childcare, affordable childcare.”
That is something Heather MacKenzie said she experienced first-hand with her daughter.
“I had a contract for a good four or five months that paid well enough to cover her childcare and I loved it. But after that contract finished the only other opportunities within that field, within that organization, didn’t pay well enough to actually keep her childcare.”
A grandmother of six, Linda Robinson said she has had to step in and help one of her children with childcare because her daughter works shift work.
“If we had better, more accessible childcare, something that wasn’t just 9 to 5 Monday to Friday it would make it a lot easier for families that have small children.”
Vipond said affordable, quality childcare was a win-win for the economy, province and for women.
“When you put people back in the workplace they pay taxes on those wages so those taxes go back into the system and you have a cycle that improves the economy and improves our income.”
With a new NDP government more affordable childcare may be on the way as premier-elect Rachel Notley proposed a $25-a day quality child care during the campaign.
With files from Josh Skurnik
-reprinted from CTV News