Public sector union leaders expect to meet premier on government's labour relations plans

The leaders of Alberta’s principal public sector unions representing employees in provincially funded jobs have requested to meet with Premier Jim Prentice to discuss his plan to establish a working group on improvements to how public-sector negotiations are conducted in Alberta.

The presidents of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Canadian Union of Public Employees Alberta, Health Sciences Association of Alberta and United Nurses of Alberta all acknowledged the need for the discussion to take place and said it must be with the premier because he is the person clearly setting the government’s agenda on this policy.

In the past, leaders of Alberta public sector unions have received different answers from different government officials to our basic questions about the government’s labour relations policy.

As a consequence, the four presidents have agreed it is very important to meet together directly with the premier to discuss the position of the government, the views of public sector unions and how to reach a solution that is fair to public employees and all Albertans, and in accord with the requirements of the Canadian Constitution.

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