The Alberta Federation of Labour, CEP and 6 other unions have launched a formal challenge to Bill 27, a bill to amend the Alberta Labour Code. The unions charge the legislation violates NAFTA and robs health care workers of basic rights.

The NAFTA side agreement on labour, ratified by Alberta in 1995, requires Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to comply with due process, which includes administration of collective bargaining by the Alberta Labour Relations Board. Bill 27 bypasses the ALRB removes the right to strike and gives Ralph Klein and his cabinet the ability to decide which unions will represent health care workers and which contracts will apply.

CEP Administrative Vice President Don MacNeil said the Klein government "can't cut taxes anymore so they only way they can free up more money for their corporate buddies is to drive down workers and that is what they are attempting to do."

CEP plays a small but significant role in Alberta's health care system. The union represents 100 employees in two locals at Northern Lights Regional Health District in Fort McMurray. The members are engaged in occupations varying from clerical to public health nurses. Clerical employees recently reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.

MacNeil said Bill 27 "totally removes the democratic rights of workers to choose representation." He said the bill also removes the right to strike by all health care workers in the province. MacNeil said, " while all the collective agreements are ripped up .. we strongly suspect the employers will not go to the top collective agreement and our members will be totally powerless to do anything about it. This part of the legislation is so brazen, it hurts.

"Other unions joining the complaint are CUPE, United Nurses of Alberta, Health Sciences Association of Alberta, UFCW, United Steelworkers of America and the International Union of Operating Engineers.