Alberta judge issues stay on legislation that would impose contract on union
Posted Jan 28, 2014 9:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
EDMONTON – An Alberta judge has issued a temporary stay on legislation that would impose a contract on 22,000 government workers at the end of the month if a negotiated deal isn’t reached.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is challenging the Public Service Salary Restraint Act in Court of Queen’s Bench.
A union official says the judge has put the legislation on hold until February 14th at noon to give him time to consider all the arguments presented in the case.
The union contends the law that was passed quickly just last month amounts to unfair bargaining and breaches the union’s charter rights.
In a release, AUPE President Guy Smith said, “We are very pleased with (Tuesday’s) decision. While it isn’t a comment on the merits of our case, it does mean the matter is of sufficient complexity that the court needs time to write its decision.”
Government workers in Alberta have not had the legal right to strike since 1977, but until last month had the right to send contract disputes to binding arbitration.
The salary restraint law would impose a four-year contract with frozen wages in the first two years, followed by one per cent hikes in each of the following two.
