Andrea Ross
July 15th 2013
AUPE Local 12 Scholarship Essay
AUPE Local 12 Scholarship Essay
When disputes over fair wages or work conditions occur between employers
and employees, unions such as the AUPE are there to help. When disputes can’t be
sorted between parties through preliminary bargaining measures, a strike or
withdrawal of labour may occur. Whether the strike is legal or not depends on the
situation, parties involved, and events leading up to the strike.
If employees feel as though their rights as workers are not being heard, AUPE
members have the option of going on legal strike, a usually peaceful way of
bargaining and tend to conclude with the signing of a collective agreement. But
before workers strike, the union is entitled to have the employees meet with their
employer to discuss and bargain over the conditions of employment stated in a
collective agreement. If not all parties can reach an agreement, the employees are
permitted to lawfully strike.
A circumstance where a strike could be perceived as illegal by the
government is a situation such as the correctional facilities strike in April 2013.
Employees at Edmonton’s new Remand Centre voiced concerns about unsafe work
conditions and health and safety issues in the building, and when they felt these
concerns weren’t being properly addressed by their employer and the province,
many staff at correctional facilities across Alberta went on a five day strike in
support of their fellow workers.
Even though the AUPE was court-ordered to end the strike, workers
remained in unity on the picket lines and a judge found the AUPE in contempt of
court for ignoring previous court orders to end the strike. The judge did not
consider any of the worker’s safety issues that led to the strike in the first place, but
only the AUPE’S efforts to get workers back on the job. Another reason the
government perceived this as an illegal strike was because of supposed “defiance” of
workers. This strike made headlines across the country because of the tenacity of
the striking workers and the AUPE’s decision to stand by their members. However,
the strike cost taxpayers $1.2 million in policing costs for each day of the strike, and
the AUPE was faced with heavy fines that increased each day that the strike
continued.
Oftentimes a collective bargaining agreement can be reached before
resorting to a strike because of the fear from all parties of losing profits, work, or
funds. Usually strikes are a negative event for all parties involved, because everyone
loses in some way - the employee loses wages, the union loses funds from their
strike account, and the employer loses profits because of lack of workforce with a
continuation of costs. The strike becomes illegal and (usually) ends once an
agreement is reached.
The length of the strike and the willingness to accumulate heavy fines
demonstrated the AUPE’S commitment to standing by their members when
members need their support. While all parties lost financially in some way, the
correctional workers strike ended in an agreement between the province and the
workers, and demonstrated the power of unity between the worker and the union.
Andrea Ross
July 15th 2013
AUPE Local 12 Scholarship Essay