New law is clearly designed to stop Albertans from exercising their democratic right to picket and protest, says AFL

EDMONTON – The UCP government plans to strip rights from Alberta health care workers and allies by outlawing demonstrations around public health care facilities.

Buried in the United Conservative government’s Bill 31, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, are changes that will add hospitals, continuing care homes, mental health facilities, and other facilities to the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act.

“Unions representing hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers are bargaining with the UCP government for better wages and working conditions,” says Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) president Gil McGowan. “These changes are a clear message that the Danielle Smith government is willing to take away their right to protest. The right to strike and the right to protest are basic democratic rights protected by the constitution. Albertans should be very worried by the authoritarian drift of the Smith government.”

The Critical Infrastructure Defense Act was passed in 2020 and restricts Albertans from protesting around such things as highways and railways. Bill 31 adds public health care facilities, as well as some privately-owned facilities, to the list.

“When Jason Kenney passed this law four years ago, we voiced concerns that it was far reaching, unconstitutional, and punitive. We warned that the UCP government was willing to use all tools to stop or discourage all collective action that goes against the UCP agenda, including potential labour or worker action. Today’s amendments do just that. ”

“This law can be used to silence union members expressing their collective rights on the picket line,” said McGowan. “In fact, it could be used to arrest any number of Albertans trying to stand up for their access to health care.”

“This law could be used to arrest the entire picket line and charge them, as opposed to the current approach which is for the employer to go to the Labour Relations Board to ask for restrictions on the time that a vehicle can be slowed or stopped.”

-30-

MEDIA CONTACT:
John Ashton
Director of Communications, AFL
Email: jashton@afl.org