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1991
Bethany Care Strike
On July 12, 1991,19 nurses at Bethany Care, Cochrane, began a legal strike for a first Collective Agreement. This strike was long and bitter, and the employers refused to offer contract provisions close to those enjoyed by other hospital nurses. The striking nurses returned to work December 16 with a first Collective Agreement, but did not realize the gains they had hoped for.
In August of 1991, the provincial office of UNA moved into Park Plaza on 98th Avenue and 106th Street in Edmonton. The UNA Office in Calgary was renamed the Southern Alberta Regional Office.
Supreme Court of Canada
On December 3, 1991, UNA appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa to argue that the 1988 fines imposed by the Alberta courts, were wrongly imposed. UNA lawyers argued that there were sufficient penalties available under the civil code, up to and including massive fines and jail sentences, and that the Alberta government did not have to lay charges under the criminal code. They further argued that criminal charges can only be made against an individual person, and not against an organization. Another argument advanced by UNA was that the judicial hearing had proceeded improperly in that UNA was served notice to appear at a specific time, and the hearing began prior to that time; and that the rules of Court were not followed in that UNA was not allowed to cross examine deponents of affidavits. And finally, UNA argued that the
process of the LRB directives being automatically stamped as Court orders makes the judicial system simply an extension of government.
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