Proposed changes uphold charter-protected rights

The Government of Alberta is moving forward with proposed amendments to the act which would:

• Remove exemptions prohibiting five classifications of employees from participating in collective bargaining. The proposed changes bring Alberta in line with the rest of the country.  
• Repeal provisions, which undermined employees’ abilities to bargain fairly with their employer.
• Move non-academic staff at post-secondary institutions under the Labour Relations Code. This change would provide more consistency to the post-secondary sector and ensure all employers and employees have the same rights and responsibilities.

“We believe in a fair and balanced labour relations system. As the minister of labour, I am proud to introduce these changes to ensure our laws uphold Albertans’ charter-protected rights to free collective bargaining, while continuing to build on the strong foundation of our labour relations regime.”

Background

• The current positions restricted from bargaining under the Public Service Employee Relations Act are: budget officer, systems analyst, auditor, disbursement control officer and hearing officer.
• If these changes pass, the removal of exemptions on the five employee classifications and the removal of restrictions on Compulsory Arbitration Boards would take effect on June 1, 2019. If amendments bringing non-academic staff under the Labour Relations Code are passed, the change would come into effect July 1, 2022 to give post-secondary institutions and non-academic staff time to adjust.