Thanks in large part to an energetic campaign by CUPE 38 with the City of Calgary, Calgary municipal council has voted overwhelmingly to stop the privatization of Enmax.

"Calgarians want Enmax to be part of their city," said Alderman Bob Hawkesworth after the vote. Council voted 13-2 on Friday May 10 to scrap the sale of Enmax, the city’s public utility.

This is a huge victory for public accountability over business ideology," said CUPE 38, president Peter Marsden.

"Keep the power in Calgary" was the refrain seen and heard around the city over the last two months. CUPE’s campaign pointed out that control over rates, keeping good jobs in Calgary and a huge financial dividend from Enmax that helps to keep property taxes low are the real sources of Enmax’s power. The message was repeated around the city with CUPE’s bright transit shelter posters and radio ads. The ads urged people to call members of City Council to stop the sale. And it worked.

"We heard from the mayor and city council that they were inundated with calls to their offices prior to the vote," said Marsden.

CUPE 38’s campaign began almost one year ago, when privatization was proposed by Enmax executives. The former mayor and council voted to sell Enmax last August, prior to the municipal elections. CUPE 38 launched into action with radio ads and joining forces with a community coalition.

Thanks to their work, the proposed sale of Enmax became the number one issue in the municipal election last October. As a result, Mayor Dave Bronoconnier was elected in October on the promise to halt the sale.