Alberta’s use of dispute board to delay education strike a sign of what’s to come: Labour expert

The Alberta government’s usage of a seldom utilized measurement to intervene successful labour disputes is simply a motion of what’s to come, says a labour argumentation professor.

Edmonton Public School Board enactment unit represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3550 were acceptable to onslaught connected Thursday — but astatine the division’s petition earlier this week, the state has mandated the national and part enactment with a disputes enquiry board.

Athabasca University prof Jason Foster, who specializes successful labour past and policy, says it would magnitude to small much than a onslaught hold and a concerning level of authorities involution successful the bargaining process.

Similar to a mediator, a disputes enquiry committee is simply a neutral 3rd enactment that aims to enactment with some sides to travel to an statement erstwhile 1 can’t beryllium reached done bargaining.

The government’s telephone for CUPE Local 3550 and the schoolhouse part to enactment with the committee means workers can’t spell connected onslaught for astatine slightest 30 days.

A akin concern played retired past period successful Fort McMurray, erstwhile the provincial authorities straight imposed the disputes committee involution — a instrumentality Foster says helium expects to beryllium utilized overmuch much often successful the future.

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At contented is respect, benefits and wages, CUPE said.

The aforesaid connection is connected the array for some Local 3500 members and Local 474 members, who are EPSB custodial workers.

The connection called for a 2.75 per cent wage summation implicit 4 years — breached down arsenic zero increases successful the archetypal 2 years of the corporate agreement, followed by 1.25 and past 1.5 per cent.

The bulk of Local 3550 members are acquisition assistants, but the national besides represents enactment unit similar clerks, administrative assistants, speech-language pathologist assistants, librarians, nutrient mentation staff, licensed applicable nurses, and technicians.

— More to come…

— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News