UNA stands in solidarity with CUPE Local 3550 members; condemns Alberta government interference with collective bargaining  

United Nurses of Alberta stands in solidarity with the members of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3550, the latest group of Alberta workers to fall victim to the United Conservative Party Government’s interference with the collective bargaining process.
 
The CUPE members, about 3,200 education assistants and other employees of the Edmonton Public School Board, have voted to strike in their struggle to achieve sustainable wages through a collective agreement.
 
Yesterday, the Alberta Government imposed a “Disputes Inquiry Board” to block the strike and deprive the workers of negotiating power after they had reached an impasse in negotiations.
 
While imposition of a DIB is described by the government as a temporary measure to assist the parties to reach agreement, it is clearly intended to strip the CUPE members of the ability to reach a fair deal in violation of their court-recognized right of to bargain collectively.
 
The government is placing its thumb on the scale to keep a group of low-wage public-sector working people from reaching a fair agreement, UNA said. This must not continue.
 
Disputes, including strikes, are an essential part of the collective bargaining process that works for both employers and workers. The government must not interfere to tilt the playing field in favour of employers.

This message was overwhelmingly endorsed this morning by the more than 1,000 participants in UNA’s Annual General Meeting in Edmonton.