EDMONTON – On Aug. 27, AUPE filed an Unfair Labour Practice complaint against Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) with the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) after the employer unilaterally made changes in the workplace.
These changes are part of a larger plan to restructure the organization that would mean a big drop in pay for frontline workers.
AUPE filed the complaint on the grounds that LAA violated their obligation to bargain in good faith when the employer posted job openings for two new classifications, which were not negotiated with AUPE members, who have been in bargaining since May.
“This employer claims to stand for a fair Alberta, where all people are able to protect their legal rights. Now here they are undermining the rights of their own staff,” said AUPE Vice-President James Hart. “It’s shameful.”
LAA provides assistance to low-income earners facing legal issues. The AUPE members who work in their Calgary and Edmonton offices support vulnerable Albertans in a number of ways.
“Our members are the first point of contact for this agency, but the employer doesn’t value their work,” said Hart.
Right now, Legal Aid is making moves to split the duties of their Legal Services Officers, meaning staff who currently fill this role will have to reapply for their own jobs.
“Only now, they’ll have to meet more rigid education requirements, despite the fact they've already been doing the work. It’s completely unfair,” he adds.
These are not the only changes at LAA. In early August, the employer issued layoff notices to some of their justice navigators, a decision that came on the heels of the NDP government’s decision in October, 2018 to give Legal Aid 70-million dollars of stable funding (over four years).
This is the first time in decades the agency has seen stable funding, but it’s clearly not translating to the frontlines.
“Staff are just a number to Legal Aid. Whether they’re kicking them to the curb or restricting their capacity to use their specialized knowledge to help clients, they’re devaluing our members’ work and the lives of the Albertans they support.
“We won't stand for it, and we’ll do everything we can to push back.”
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For more information:
Celia Shea, AUPE Communications 780-720-8122