Province extends Bill 46 implementation deadline
Posted Jan 30, 2014 6:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Redford caucus has intended the deadline to reach a deal with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
They now have until March 31st.
Earlier this week, a judge considering an appeal by the union, had stayed Bill 46 for two weeks.
It would force a contract on 22,000 government workers and was set to take effect tomorrow.
Deputy Premier Dave Hancock says they want to get something hammered out.
“We will have a new negotiating team at the table, we want to show every opportunity for a fresh start to really indicate that we want a negotiated agreement. Obviously we still have a fiscal frame work to negotiate within,” said Hancock.
The union has been vocally unhappy with what they have called “unfair bargaining”.
The salary restraint law would impose a four-year contract and until last month governmnet workers had the right to send contract disputes to binding arbitration.
The AUPE, in the meantime, is prepared to continue negotiations if the province returns to the bargaining table.
President Guy Smith says their last communication to the government negotiating team was that we could only continue bargaining if they came back with a new mandate to meet our members’ needs.
Smith remains skeptical about the new bargaining team from the province saying they gave their bargaining positions minimal consideration throughout January and they still hold a legislated contract over our heads that they can enact on March 31.
