After an emergency meeting was called on Friday evening, the President of the Alberta Federation of Labour, Gil McGowan, released a statement on behalf of Alberta's public and private unions, urging Premier Smith and the provincial government not to use the notwithstanding clause against striking teachers..This statement comes after the provincial government signalled it would be instituting back-to-work legislation on the ongoing teachers' strike, which has been going on since October 6. Whether or not the government will use the notwithstanding clause is yet to be seen, but this statement can be seen as a preemptive measure against that. .The statement calls the potential action "unprecedented in the history of Canadian labour relations" and states that "It would also escalate the situation from a confrontation between your government and the teachers to a confrontation between you and the entire Canadian labour movement.".The statement also continues by saying that if the clause is used, it would "erode worker bargaining power" and threatens that, "If you take this unprecedented approach, we will have no choice but to mobilize an unprecedented response.".The notwithstanding clause, which allows for federal or provincial governments to override certain rights for up to five years, has never been used in Alberta, and usage by the provincial government would mark the first and only time the clause would have been successfully enacted..The threats of "unprecedented action" by a group that represents over 350,000 Albertan workers could signal to Smith that usage of the clause may incite larger, cross-labour strikes..It remains to be seen whether or not the clause will even need to be used, but with Bill 2, or, as it has also been referred to, the Back to School Act, could be implemented as early as this Monday.
