Unifor is criticizing Alberta’s back-to-work legislation as an attack on basic worker rights, saying the provincial government is fighting its own workers during a time of economic uncertainty.
The union, which represents nearly 4,000 education sector staff in Alberta, said Bill 2 goes too far by using the Notwithstanding Clause to end a teachers’ strike and strip away constitutional protections.
“Instead of working together to protect the Canadian economy and Canadian jobs, the Alberta government is choosing to fight workers,” said Lana Payne, Unifor national president.
Union represents education support workers
Unifor members working in Alberta schools include education assistants, therapeutic assistants, librarians, secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers and bus drivers.
The legislation imposes a collective agreement on teachers, removes their right to strike and bars the union from launching a legal challenge. It also limits debate in the provincial legislature.
Timing compounds economic pressures
Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor western regional director, said the legislation comes at the worst possible time for Alberta workers already facing trade pressures from U.S. tariffs.
“Albertan workers are already under attack from Donald Trump. The last thing we need is a double-barreled attack from our own government in Edmonton,” McGarrigle said.
Strike addressed education funding issues
According to McGarrigle, the teachers’ strike focused on chronic funding problems in public education. He said the legislation solves nothing while reducing worker protections.
“The teachers’ strike was about fixing the chronic problems with public education. After Bill 2, absolutely nothing has changed, except Alberta workers have fewer rights and freedoms today than they did last week,” McGarrigle said.
The union said frustration with the UCP government extends beyond teachers. “Unifor members on the front lines of public education delivery are fed up with being short-changed by this government,” McGarrigle said.
Unifor is Canada’s largest private-sector union, representing 320,000 workers across multiple industries.
