The United Conservative Party (UCP) has begun their attack on workers and unions in Alberta.
This week, the UCP tabled Bill 32 which proposes changes to employment standards and the labour relations code. This legislation would limit the activities of provincial unions, including where they can picket and how they use their union dues.
Bill 32 would mean that provincial unions could no longer advocate for workers or our collective good.
UCP wants to silence our defence of health care, education, workplace safety and pensions.
The UCP will, however, allow corporations to continue to lobby and run public campaigns. There will be no restrictions on these big businesses.
Unfortunately this attack goes far beyond Bill 32. We know there are other pieces of legislation coming.
“We know that the UCP’s goal is to reduce the bargaining power of unions and legal protections for working Albertans,” said Nancy McCune, PIPSC Prairie/NWT Region Director. “In the process they’ll start us on a race-to-the-bottom, in terms of wages and workplace rights.
We are proud to be a part of a labour movement that fights for workers and for a better society. While these changes will not impact our union directly, an erosion of workers’ rights hurts us all and we are committed to supporting unions in Alberta. We are not going to back down.
Join the Alberta Federation of Labour’s Defend Worker Rights Campaign.