Alberta Employment Standards and Labour Relations Review Update

Announcements

Dear Alberta Members,

On April 18th Restaurants Canada and the Alberta Growth Initiative (AGI) submitted the attached Alberta Employment Standards and Labour Relations Code review submissions and held a press conference with three Opposition Labour Critics Richard Gottfried MLA (PC), Glenn van Dijken MLA (WRP) and David Swann MLA (Lib) in calling on Labour Minister Grey to extend the Employment Standards and Labour Relations Code consultations (see attached release). The press conference generated considerable media coverage in the Edmonton Sun: Opposition parties join forces to demand extended consultation on labour review on CBC News: Minister urged to give employment standards, labour code review more time  and in the Edmonton Journal: Graham Thomson: Will the government give a plug nickel for your two cents on labour code changes?. We are requesting that the opposition critics hold their own consultations on the review despite the province’s April 18th deadline.

Prior to the April 18th deadline, Restaurants Canada met with the Minister of Labour on March 16th, participated in an Employment Standards consultation session on April 6th, and wrote to the Opposition Labour critics requesting they ask the government to extend the consultation period. We have also worked with AGI on the Keep Alberta Working campaign and other business associations on our review recommendations. Thanks to those of you who have also participated in the campaign by sending in your own letters, completing the online Employment Standards survey, and completing the Keeping Alberta Working (KAW) survey.

Although the submission deadline has passed we can still continue to pressure government not make costly Employment Standards and Labour Relations Code changes prior to them making any decisions on changes. Restaurants Canada encourages you to continue to make your voice heard in the following ways:

  1. Ignore the government deadline and keep the letters and correspondence coming including calls and meetings with your local MLA.
  2. If you have not already done so please fill out the Keep Alberta Working survey (attached), which we have shared with you which frames the issues more fully than does the government online Employment Standards survey.
  3. Encourage your managers, friends and colleagues, to “Like” the AGI Keep Alberta working Facebook page which has the effect of getting our message to a far bigger audience https://www.facebook.com/keepalbertaworking/
  4. If you have not already done so please encourage your managers, friends and colleagues, to sign the AGI Keep Alberta Working petition at http://petition.keepalbertaworking.ca/
  5. Be prepared to attend a possible AGI Keep Alberta Working event in the coming weeks.

Once again thank you for participating in this important Employment Standards and Labour Relations Code review. Let’s keep the pressure on government not to make radical costly Employment Standards and Labour Relations Code changes that will unnecessarily add labour cost and red tape and lead to even further unemployment in the province.