Reducing red tape in labour relations

In July 2020, Alberta’s government passed the Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act as part of our mission to reduce red tape and get Albertans back to work. The act includes updated rules for collective agreements as well as changes that support investment, job creation, and competition in the construction sector while ensuring stability. Alberta’s government also made changes to rules about major projects that will add clarity and certainty, and encourage further investment.

By allowing early renewal of collective agreements, Alberta’s government is supporting employers and Alberta’s recovery while keeping employee protections in place. The Labour Relations Board will allow collective agreements to be renewed before they expire as long as there is employee consent. This means union employees will have more choice about when to renew their collective agreement. This will make it easier for employers and unions to renew a collective agreement without conflict, allowing them to grow their businesses and keep Albertans working.

Our government is committed to getting Albertans back to work. The Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act also encourages competitiveness and reduces red tape, with more flexible rules for industrial construction and maintenance unions to organize their members.

As Alberta’s Recovery Plan continues to be implemented, we will continue to attract and invest in major construction projects. That is why Alberta’s government is further cutting red tape and supporting the province’s recovery through changes to approvals for major projects in the construction industry. For example, a minister, rather than cabinet, can now approve major projects, with a 120-day deadline for approval. This more streamlined approval process means projects can start sooner, Albertans in the construction industry can get back to work faster and our economy can recover quicker.

These changes to rules about major projects will add clarity and certainty, encourage further investment and increase the number of major construction projects in the province.

We are reducing red tape by balancing the needs of employers and employees in relation to collective agreements, and with simplified rules that make it easier to start and carry out major projects in the construction industry.

Alberta’s government is making it easier to have special agreements in the construction industry to be able to tailor agreements to meet the needs of the project, reducing the cost and attracting investment.

Reducing red tape is an important part of Alberta’s recovery plan because it eases burdens on employers, which gets Albertans back to work.