Alberta government introduces bill removing bargaining rights from public sector workers
Posted Jun 13, 2019 6:57 pm.
Last Updated Jun 18, 2019 2:19 am.
EDMONTON – The Alberta government has introduced a bill to strip away some bargaining rights from an estimated 200,000 public sector workers.
Union leaders are calling it a gross violation of public trust and the sanctity of collective bargaining agreements and the first step to the province cutting public sector wages.
About 100,000 workers who have been taking pay freezes are by law to have their wage rates reviewed and subject to binding arbitration right now.
The same process is set for thousands more workers in the fall.
President of the Alberta Teachers Association, Greg Jefferey also voiced displeasure at the bill.
“These agreements were reached in good faith, and now the government is using its highest powers to unilaterally change the terms of the agreement. In the business world, if a contract was blatantly ignored like this, you would never do business with that company again.”
Bill 9 proposes to cancel those hearings until after October 31st.
Finance Minister Travis Toews says the move is necessary as the province needs time to crunch the numbers to determine how to dig Alberta out of multi-billion dollar budget deficits.
The bill would affect workers across the province, including teachers, nurses, social workers, paramedics, prison guards, conservation officers, therapists and sheriffs.
