CUPE Regional Director Dianne Wyntjes is running for city council in her hometown of Red Deer, Alberta.
Working with CUPE over the last 30 years, Dianne Wyntjes has gained invaluable insight and experience into public policy and politics. Now, she would like to give back to her community and share her perspectives, including the importance of preserving public services in Red Deer.
Wyntjes believes in the efficient use of tax dollars, maintaining a healthy and safe community, reducing crime, and upgrading our infrastructure for services such as safe drinking water and public water systems. She points out that we need to be responsible with our environment and focus on transportation systems (including transit, bicycle and walking paths), providing an affordable city to live in with a thriving business community and good job opportunities.
She encourages all CUPE members to participate in their local municipality or county decisions, or school board decisions - as a board member or as concerned citizen. She says that we need to participate - no matter if it’s a phone call, a letter, a conversation, casting your ballot, or just paying attention to decisions made that affect your community, province and country is important. Being an elected member is just taking one step further in that participation.
“I was raised in rural Alberta and my roots come from the agriculture community. I recognize many social activists, one being Irene Parlby, President of the United Farm Women of Alberta, an elected MLA. She was also one of the “Famous Five” – a group of women who took their case all the way to the Supreme Court for women to be recognized as persons in 1927,” said Wyntjes.
“Many of us know that the term labour/social activist is not a term we see in the mainstream and media. Many union members recognize that the term “trade unionist” isn’t popular, yet we carry on with our vision of fairness.”
Wyntjes has lived in Red Deer since 1975, and was raised in rural Alberta – half way between Spruce View and Eckville. Later, she returned to her agriculture roots and married her husband Allan, a dairy farmer.
She attended Red Deer College and is a past member of the Red Deer College Alumni Executive, a past president and recording secretary on the Red Deer and District Labour Council, a current board member on the Employment Insurance Board of Referees, and was recently appointed as a board member to the Alberta Labour Relations Board.
- To learn more, visit the Dianne for Red Deer website.
- Follow Dianne Wyntjes on Twitter @dianne4RD
How you can help
Without a supporting team a successful election likely won’t happen. Any offer of help to a candidate you support is welcome, so volunteer to work on a candidate’s campaign. That can include door-to-door campaigning; phone bank assistance; talking to your work colleagues about supporting the candidate; reminding your colleagues, family and friends to cast their ballot on election day; or having a sign on your lawn or window. Finally, any financial contribution (from an individual CUPE member) to a candidate’s campaign is appreciated.
Make sure you vote on October 18!
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