Many Olds College employees were notified of layoffs ahead of the Easter long weekend.
Up to 100 employees will be out of work or on reduced hours, according to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which blames the cuts on the provincial government.
“The UCP government is kicking rural Albertans when they are already down,” said AUPE vice-president Bobby-Joe Borodey, who works at the college as an admissions officer.
“We are in the middle of a global pandemic and the UCP is forcing massive layoffs when Albertans need security and support from their government.”
Borodey said the news is especially tough given that Statistics Canada announced Thursday that Alberta lost 117,000 jobs in March. With just over 9,000 people living in Olds, employment at the college is important to the community, he said.
“Olds is a small town and the college is a major source of jobs for our community,” said Borodey.
“This is a heartless position for the government to take. Why are they punishing rural Albertans who do so much for the college and our community?”