Labour expert: Use of dispute board to delay Alberta strike a sign of what’s to come

Athabasca University professor Jason Foster said the intervention amounts to little more than a strike delay while showing a concerning level of government intervention in the bargaining process

EDMONTON — The Alberta government’s recent use of a rarely used measure to intervene in labour disputes is a sign of what’s to come, says a labour policy professor.

Over 3,000 educational support staff with the Edmonton Public school division were set to strike Thursday. But on Tuesday, at the division’s request, the province mandated the union and division work with a dispute inquiry board.