Alberta Politics: LPNs’ application to join Direct Nursing Care bargaining unit summarily dismissed by Alberta Labour Relations Board

An application by a group of Licensed Practical Nurses for their jobs to be reclassified as part of Alberta’s Direct Nursing Care bargaining unit on the not-unreasonable grounds that direct nursing care is what they provide has been summarily dismissed by the Alberta Labour Relations Board.  Calgary LPN Quintin Martin

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: United Conservative Party Government tells Alberta nurses: Don’t worry, there’s no list, and you’re not on it! 

VICTORIA, B.C. – Are you wondering why Alberta Health Services would threaten nurses with layoffs in the middle of an international nurse shortage and a national health care crisis at the very moment the province’s governing United Conservative Party is trying to reassure everyone things in health care are just

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: The mystery of Bill 5: Is it part of the UCP’s covert ‘Free Alberta’ agenda or just a bit of administrative housekeeping?

Members of Alberta’s labour relations community were scratching their heads Monday and yesterday about Bill 5, the Public Sector Employer Amendment Act, 2023, last on the list of the first five bills to be introduced by the United Conservative Party in the new session of the provincial Legislature that began

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: Something for Doug Ford to remember: Once in a while when you pull the cork from a bottle a genie pops out!

The Conservative movement’s vast army of online trolls has been strangely silent about the right of poorly paid Ontario education workers to negotiate a decent salary for themselves. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, encountering a stiff breeze (Photo: Premier of Ontario Photography/Flickr). Funny that, Conservatives being such lovers of Canadian rights

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: Motion to debate mediator’s recommended contract sets stage for confrontation at Alberta Teachers Association meeting today 

Delegates to the Alberta Teachers Association annual meeting in Calgary who agree with three former ATA presidents that a mediator’s recommended contract would be “wholly inadequate” hope to get a motion on the agenda this morning to have the assembly consider and debate the recommended settlement. ATA President Jason Schilling

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: Three former Alberta Teachers Association presidents urge teachers to reject mediator’s recommended contract

Three former presidents of the Alberta Teachers Association have written a strongly worded open letter to Alberta public, Catholic and francophone schoolteachers throughout the province urging them to reject an “unacceptable” recommended settlement by a mediator in their current round of contract negotiations. Former ATA president Frank Bruseker, at right,

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: Impact of UCP’s brutal post-secondary funding cuts sparks fear in University of Lethbridge’s Music Department

Faculty and students in the University of Lethbridge Music Department are fearful of the impact of a “drastic restructuring” of academic programs brought about by the Kenney Government’s brutal funding cuts to Alberta’s public post-secondary institutions in last February’s provincial budget. In a letter to published Saturday on the Lethbridge

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: Kenney Government suddenly backs away from long-brewing big battles with nurses and teachers

Alberta’s United Conservative Party Government has suddenly retreated from controversial battles with nurses and teachers that were a priority for Premier Jason Kenney and his inner circle almost since their election in the spring on 2019. Over the Labour Day weekend, a representative of the Alberta Health Services bargaining committee

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: Arbitration panel rejects rollback demand, awards 1% raise to non-academic staff at eight small Alberta public colleges

It’s unlikely the United Conservative Party Government of Premier Jason Kenney was pleased when it got word Monday an arbitration panel had rejected an employer demand for a pay rollback and awarded support staff at eight smaller Alberta post-secondary institutions a 1-per-cent raise for the final year of their contract.

Continue reading

Alberta Politics: UCP plan to lay off 11,000 public sector health workers sparks wildcat walkouts at 45 Alberta health facilities

Infuriated at the Kenney Government’s determination to lay off 11,000 public sector health care workers and privatize their jobs, members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees walked off the job in a province-wide wildcat strike yesterday morning. Last night, the Alberta Labour Relations Board ruled the work stoppage to

Continue reading