As strike ends, real work begins

Re: “Union calls off illegal walkout; Strike by remand centre guards racks up $350,000 court fine,” the Journal, May 1. Wildcat strikes by publicsector employees are rare in recent Canadian history. Now that the illegal strike by Alberta correctional officers is over, the real work should begin.

The seeds of this dispute go back years and for the pot of hot water to boil over goes to the heart of the union’s relationship with its employer.

In one of the many rounds of bargaining I have been involved in, a senior union official told me that an unreasonable employer drives the most mild-mannered union member to radical militancy and hardens solidarity within the rank and file.

The province must now engage the AUPE in creating a positive relationship through goodwill and building trust by using a more collaborative approach in managing labour relations. This can only be done if the parties design effective processes of dialogue.

The government has every right to bring in an austerity plan for the civil service; MLAs are elected to represent Alberta’s best interests. If Albertans believe the government has the wrong economic model, they can defeat the government in the next election.

But common ground between the union and employer must exist. This means that neither party should be acting in a highhanded fashion and that good faith between the parties is needed now.

The government must get over that AUPE gave it a bloody nose and move forward to address the alienation of its provincial workers so they do not believe their only path is to break the law.