Alberta government tables new essential services legislation
Posted Mar 15, 2016 5:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Public sector workers will be able to hit the picket lines, with new legislation introduced by the Minister of Labour. The catch, staff and their bosses need to have an essential services agreement to make sure Albertans will still be able to access services from places such as hospitals and government offices.
The proposed Bill 4 brings the province into compliance with a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that said limits on public sector strikes interfered with collective bargaining.
Minister of Labour Christina Gray said it places more responsibility for resolving labour disputes in the hands of employers and unions, and she doesn’t expect more strikes.
“It is a very serious step in that collective bargaining process. I imagine both sides of any bargaining relationship will be working very hard and very responsibly to come to an agreement before having to make that decision to strike,” she says.
The legislation covers about 150,000 workers but the essential services deal isn’t required for municipal firefighters, police, and some ambulance workers. Labour lawyer Andy Sims lead consultations with Alberta unions before the bill was drafted.
“I have seen, mediated for a lot of years, many settlements arrived at 11:00 at night. The pressure that comes on both parties from knowing there’s a potential for a strike or lockout, itself, settles disputes,” says Sims.
The bill would apply to government employees, staff at agencies, boards and commissions, non-academic staff at post-secondary institutions, Alberta Health Services workers and employees at other approved hospitals.
