Alberta’s labour movement is signalling that it may take unprecedented action in response to the provincial government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to end a teacher strike. However, union leaders say they need more time to organize — and it remains unclear whether the bold plans they’ve hinted at are achievable.
Last week, labour leaders suggested they were considering a provincewide general strike. But at a press event days later, the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) emphasized that no final decision has been made. AFL president Gil McGowan said that for such a move to truly work, participation would have to be massive.
“If we do it, it has to involve so many people that it would be difficult for the government to arrest and fine everyone,” McGowan said. “It has to be big, bold and unprecedented.”
Labour researcher Jason Foster notes that while Alberta has a history of militant labour activity, the movement has been relatively quiet over the past few decades. The province also has the lowest union membership rate in Canada — just over 23 per cent of workers are covered by collective agreements, compared to a national average of about 30 per cent. That smaller base has traditionally made large-scale mobilization more difficult.
Even so, Foster says the number of unionized workers in Alberta is still large enough to have real economic and political influence if coordinated effectively.
The AFL says it is now working through internal processes and consulting union members. As McGowan put it, the movement is “building new muscles” — but translating momentum into action will require both strategy and widespread support.
