UNA responds to Alberta Government’s Labour Relations Code review

Labour Relations

UNA’s written response makes it clear our union does not accept the premise of this review and believes there is no need for a review at this time.

United Nurses of Alberta has responded to the Government of Alberta’s Nov. 22 request to submit a written response the planned review of the Alberta Labour Relations Code.

Comments to be submitted by December 22, 2019, less than a month after the call for feedback was made. In addition to the short notice, very little information was provided to union stakeholders about the changes the government is contemplating. Moreover, materials provided to assist stakeholders with the submission process included misleading statements and was short on evidence to support them.

The Government’s “Written Submission Guide,” for one example, stated without evidence the opinion that revisions to the code in 2017 “went too far and affected the balance in the workplace, including having a negative impact on the competitiveness of Alberta businesses.”

UNA’s written response makes it clear our union does not accept the premise of this review and believes there is no need for a review at this time.

UNA made clear in its submission that almost all changes included in the 2017 revisions placed Alberta labour laws in the middle of the Canadian labour relations mainstream.

It also informed the government that it believes the hurried steps leading to the 2019 review strongly suggest it is not a sincere, legitimate consultation, but merely window dressing for an effort to impose the governing party’s ideology on the legal framework of labour relations.

A link to a full copy of UNA’s submission is available at right.

~