The Prince Albert and District Labour Council has publicly endorsed Rob Ashton in the federal New Democratic Party Leadership race, citing his worker focused platform and background in the labour movement as key reasons for its support.
Labour council president Mat Derworiz said the endorsement is rooted in concerns about employment, affordability, and long standing economic challenges facing Prince Albert.
“There are two main reasons,” Derworiz said. “One is the platform that Ashton is running on. Ashton is running on a jobs platform for everyone. Anybody who wants to work will get a job.”
Derworiz pointed to the absence of major industry in Prince Albert, including the closure of the local pulp mill nearly two decades ago, as an example of unmet economic potential.
“We have gone 20 years without a pulp mill, and you cannot say there is zero demand for wood or paper products in the country,” he said. “Having somebody like Rob talk about a jobs program and a jobs guarantee is going to be huge for Prince Albert, its economy, and lifting people out of poverty.”
The labour council also emphasized Ashton’s personal background as the second main reason for Ashton’s endorsement. Ashton is a longtime union leader and dock worker, not a career politician, according to Derworiz.
“He has been on the picket line,” Derworiz said. “He knows what it is like when you get an unexpected bill, when your car needs maintenance and you have not budgeted for it. He knows what those feelings are like, and everybody in Prince Albert can relate to that.”
Derworiz said workers in Prince Albert continue to struggle as wages fail to keep pace with inflation, particularly rising grocery costs and housing expenses.
“A can of coffee has climbed by more than ten dollars in the past few years,” he said. “Nobody’s wage has gone up ten dollars an hour. You see rent increasing, you see government supports pulling out. It is a tough time for working people in Prince Albert and across the country.”
He said Ashton’s Worker Power Plan connects directly to local concerns by addressing unemployment, which he said remains higher in Prince Albert than the provincial average.
“The unemployment rate in Prince Albert is higher than the provincial average,” Derworiz said. “When people are making a living wage, they spend their money in shops and services in Prince Albert. It lifts all boats when you decrease unemployment.”
The council chose to make the endorsement public early in the leadership race to encourage participation, particularly among party members who still have time to register and vote.
“It is still early enough for people to register for the party,” Derworiz said. “The labour council did not endorse in 2017, and we felt the party went in the wrong direction with the leader they picked. There is hope that by endorsing in 2026, the party will pick a leader who resonates with Prince Albert voters for the next federal election.”
Asked about concerns that the move could be seen as political rather than advocacy-based, Derworiz said the council’s mandate is to represent workers in all levels of government.
“The purpose of the labour council is to be a voice for workers in Prince Albert,” he said. “Federal, provincial, and municipal politics are where that voice can be used the loudest. Even if our voice is small on a national level, we still get to have our say.”
The labour council plans to follow up the endorsement with a membership drive, contacting lapsed members and encouraging them to renew and participate in the leadership vote.
Derworiz said the process is ongoing and will continue ahead of the January 28 deadline.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
