The Alberta government’s use of a rarely used measure to intervene in labour disputes is a sign of what’s to come, says a labour policy professor.
Edmonton Public School Board support staff represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3550 were set to strike on Thursday — but at the division’s request earlier this week, the province has mandated the union and division work with a disputes inquiry board.
Athabasca University professor Jason Foster, who specializes in labour history and policy, says it would amount to little more than a strike delay and a concerning level of government intervention in the bargaining process.
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Similar to a mediator, a disputes inquiry board is a neutral third party that aims to work with both sides to come to an agreement when one can’t be reached through bargaining.
The government’s call for CUPE Local 3550 and the school division to work with the board means workers can’t go on strike for at least 30 days.
A similar situation played out last month in Fort McMurray, when the provincial government directly imposed the disputes board intervention — a tool Foster says he expects to be used much more often in the future.
At issue is respect, benefits and wages, CUPE said.
The same offer is on the table for both Local 3500 members and Local 474 members, who are EPSB custodial workers.
The offer called for a 2.75 per cent wage increase over four years — broken down as zero increases in the first two years of the collective agreement, followed by 1.25 and then 1.5 per cent.
The majority of Local 3550 members are educational assistants, but the union also represents support staff like clerks, administrative assistants, speech-language pathologist assistants, librarians, food preparation staff, licensed practical nurses, and technicians.
— More to come…
— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News
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