Labour leaders vow ‘unprecedented response’ as Alberta uses notwithstanding clause

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) says the provincial government’s decision to use the Charter's notwithstanding clause to force striking teachers back to work marks a dangerous turning point for democracy and worker rights.

Gil McGowan, president of the AFL, told reporters on Monday that Premier Danielle Smith’s government “had options” but instead chose what he called the "nuclear" one.

" They chose confrontation and escalation over compromise and negotiation," McGowan said. "And in the process ... they've transformed this dispute between teachers and the government to a confrontation between government and the broader labour movement.

"We said if this government was going to take the unprecedented action of stripping teachers of their constitutionally-protected right to strike