EDMONTON, AB – A meeting held this afternoon between Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Labour Minister Jason Copping, Building Trades of Alberta Executive Director Terry Parker and Chairman Ian Robb, ended in acknowledgement from the Premier that “right-to-work” is simply not constitutional and assurances that the provincial government will not pursue such a policy.

“We appreciate Premier Kenney and Minister Copping meeting with us, listening to our concerns and engaging in a productive discussion,” said BTA Executive Director Terry Parker. “The Premier made it abundantly clear that his top priority is getting Albertans back to work, not pursuing futile ideological fights. We value our working relationship with the province and all industry stakeholders whose decisions directly affect the lives of workers across the province.”

The Premier’s acknowledgement on “right-to-work” comes on the heels of a letter sent by BTA to Premier Kenney last week following the passage of Policy 3 at the UCP AGM on Oct. 17, which suggested Alberta become a “right-to-work” jurisdiction.

The passing of Policy 3 and release of the letter sparked conversations between BTA, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU), North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), TC Energy and others.

“We appreciate the support of the Building Trades Unions and industry on both sides of the border, as well as the leadership and advocacy from NABTU President Sean McGarvey, whose country has seen the effects ‘right-to-work’ has had on workers in several states.

“The organized skilled building trades is a network of hardworking women and men from across North America who come together to build and maintain everything from our schools, bridges and hospitals, to our refineries, pipelines, skyscrapers and more,” said Parker.

One of those cross-border projects is Keystone XL, which we were pleased to see the province invest in. This investment signaled strong support for the province’s energy industry and the workers who rely on it to feed their families, including many from Building Trades of Alberta affiliates, who have worked hard to bring the pipeline south.

The Building Trades of Alberta proudly represents more than 60,000 skilled trades workers from 18 Alberta local unions, province-wide.

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For more information:

Tyler Bedford, BTA Director of Communications and Relations: 780-298-7626

Click here to read letter from BTA to Premier Kenney