No general strike yet as Alberta labour unions mobilize against Smith government

In an escalation of tensions between organized labour and the Alberta government, the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) has announced a sweeping campaign to challenge Premier Danielle Smith’s leadership.

While no general strike has been declared, union leaders say the groundwork is being laid for a province-wide mobilization that could include recalling United Conservative Party (UCP) MLAs in an effort to topple the government.

The government invoked the Charter’s notwithstanding clause this week to shut down a provincewide teachers strike and impose a contract on 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

Gil McGowan, president of the AFL and spokesperson for the newly formed Common Front—a coalition representing 350,000 workers—delivered a fiery message at a press conference on Wednesday.

“Danielle Smith has awakened a sleeping giant,” he declared, adding that her policies have galvanized unions across Alberta and even nationally.

McGowan cited multiple grievances fueling the movement, including the Smith government’s handling of public health care, proposals to withdraw Alberta from the Canada Pension Plan, and erosion of bargaining rights for teachers and other public sector workers.

“This is not just for the sake of the teachers,” he said. “It’s for the sake of our shared democracy and the future of our province.”

Despite the strong rhetoric, McGowan emphasized that a general strike is not imminent.

“We need time for reaching out to allies and to workers who are not in unions, because there are risks,” he said, noting that any strike must be “so big and so widely popular, that we are all defended by the size of the movement.”

In addition to strike planning, labour groups are preparing to launch recall campaigns targeting prominent UCP MLAs. Labour relations expert Jason Foster warned that such efforts could have serious political consequences.

“If they focused eight to ten, or a dozen recall campaigns on the most notable UCP MLAs over the next few months, that could have a pretty profound impact on this government,” Foster said.

The Canadian Labour Congress has also thrown its support behind Alberta unions, signaling that this battle may extend beyond provincial borders.

While the unions have not yet committed to a general strike in support of teachers, McGowan left the door open.

“It could still happen,” he said, “but more planning is needed.”

With files from The Canadian Press