New bill proposes changes to union funding and picketing; labour leader promises ‘fight’

EDMONTON Alberta is set to become the first jurisdiction in Canada to require employees to opt-in if they want their union dues to go toward political parties or causes.

Bill 32, the Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act, tabled in the legislative assembly on Tuesday, still requires union members pay dues for what the government considers “core union activities” but mandates that employees optin if they want to pay dues toward political parties or causes.

Minister of Labour and Immigration Jason Copping said the move was part of the UCP government’s election platform.

“It is unacceptable that unions are campaigning against Alberta’s key sectors that employ the workers they are supposed to represent,” he said.

Gil Mcgowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, called the bill unconstitutional and suggested unions are prepared to fight back, even if the UCP majority means the bill will likely pass.

“We will fight on the political stage, we will fight in the courts, and if necessary, we will fight in the streets,” he said Tuesday.

Mcgowan said union leaders are scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss their next steps.

He said the government is trying to silence the unions because they often speak out against government decisions and that the bill will weaken unions and therefore weaken workers’ rights.

“Corporations also lobby governments and run campaigns but they won’t face the same cumbersome restriction on their freedom of expression as unions,” Mcgowan said.

“Of course, that’s the whole point. Corporations and the wealthy already have far more power than workers, but Jason Kenney and the UCP want to tip the scales even further in their favour.”

The new legislation says union members do not have to pay fees related to “general social causes or issues,” charities, any organization linked with a political group or anything else the government can decide through regulations.

If passed, the bill would also require that unions get permission from the labour relations board before they are permitted to picket anywhere except outside their place of employment. Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to obstruct or impede a person who wishes to cross a picket line.

“Our government supports workers’ right to strike and picket, but we must balance the rights with the right of job creators while remaining focused on economic recovery,” Copping said prior to the bill being tabled.

The minister said that if a union wants to picket outside a location that is not its primary workplace, it will have to go to the labour board to prove that location is an “ally.”

“Part of that is to make sure that a union isn’t picketing an employer who they believe is an ally, but actually isn’t and disrupting their business,” Copping said.

Copping said the change is strictly related to picketing due to a labour dispute and would not impact unions that wanted to hold a rally at the legislature, for example.

Employees’ union dues will be suspended if they are on an illegal strike and employers will have to continue paying union dues if there is an illegal lockout.

Bill 32 updates rules for collective agreements so they can be renewed early but only if employees consent. It also requires that financial information about unions is disclosed to members.

If employees choose a new union, under the new law the existing collective agreement will still apply until it expires.

Copping accused the former NDP government of making changes to labour rules that “pushed the balance to the union side” and insisted his government was simply trying to restore balance.

For her part, NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Bill 32 brings in “union-busting strategies to shut down the free speech of working people.” She said she is expecting a court challenge.

“In essence, the one job (Premier Jason Kenney) is creating here is the job for the lawyers,” she said.