The provincial government will not renew its lease of office space in the Lethbridge Melcor Centre, after the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) raised concerns over safety in the building in April. According to a news release from the union, workers could still be faced with three years in the building before leaving.
“Our members are pleased that after years of pressure to get them out of this building, the government has finally decided to move out, but it’s extremely disappointing to see how long this will take,” said Darren Graham, vice-president of the AUPE, which represents 95,000 working Albertans, including more than 250 employed by the government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS) at the Melcor Centre.
He said the Melcor Centre has experienced many floods in the past few years, which have sometimes led to ceiling tiles collapsing.
READ MORE: Union raises concerns over safety of Melcor building
“There was another flood in the last two weeks, making at least four instances this year alone. It’s almost inevitable that there will be more problems and therefore more danger to people inside,” Graham said. “It’s clear that the landlord is either unwilling or unable to fix these issues.”
AUPE said it is in contact with AHS about the continuing problems, but has heard nothing from the employer on its intentions.
“We are urging the GOA to find another location immediately, rather than wait until May 2025 when its lease expires,” he said. “We also urge the government to let members work remotely wherever possible. No one wants to see a worker or member of the public get injured.”