The Government of Alberta is looking to update the labour laws with Bill 17: The Fair and Family Friendly Workplaces Act.

Labour Minister Christina Grey says the changes ensure Albertans will have the same rights as other Canadians while supporting a strong economy.

The bill covers changes to Employment Standards and the Labour Code.

Critics of the bill believe it should be split into two with the Employment Standards being passed right away and the Labour Codes being brought back for more debate in the fall.

The Labour Codes includes new laws for unions, along with the rights of non-family farm and ranch workers and expands essential services to continuing care.  

Grey says the laws have been neglected for too long.
 
"What we are putting forward is fair and balanced," said Grey. " It is a modernization package and the majority of employers are already providing these basics we are just making sure that minimum standard is improved."  

She added the bill is a high priority.

"Making sure the labour relations board is functioning in an efficient way and making sure people are able to exercise their rights to free collective bargaining in a respected way, these are important."  

More than 7,000 submissions were received about the bill from Albertans, employers, business and labour organizations, municipalities, academics and advocacy groups.

"These are issues that have been debated in every jurisdiction, federally and other provinces and discussed her in Alberta for decades. Because we had so many wonderful submissions so many great perspectives we know what those perspectives are and we have put forth a middle ground solution."

If passed, the amendments would:

Improve and align maternity leave and compassionate care leave with federal policies:

Maternity leave would be extended by one week to 16 weeks.

Parental leave would be extended from 37 weeks to 52 weeks.

Compassionate care leave would be extended from eight weeks to 27 weeks.

Guarantee job protection for new unpaid leaves, including:

Long-term Illness and Injury Leave (16 weeks)

Personal and Family Responsibility Leave (five days)

Bereavement Leave (three days)

Domestic Violence Leave (10 days)

Citizenship Ceremony Leave (half-day)

Critical Illness of a Child Leave (36 weeks)

Death or Disappearance of a Child (52 weeks when a child disappeared as a result of a crime, or up to 104 weeks when a child died as a result of a crime)

Set the eligibility period for all job-protected leaves at 90 days of employment.

Remove a provision that allowed employers to apply for a permit to pay persons with disabilities less than minimum wage.
 
Raise the minimum age of work to 13 in accordance with the International Labour Organization’s Convention 138 on youth employment.
 
Modernize existing standards such as overtime, vacation pay and termination notice.

Introduce stronger enforcement, including administrative penalties when warranted, for contraventions of the Employment Standards Code.

Introduce access to first contract arbitration to assist parties in successful bargaining and improved dispute resolution methods under the Labour Relations Code.

Simplify union certification and decertification processes.
 
Expand essential services to continuing care operations.

Enhance the rights of waged, non-family farm and ranch workers while protecting the family-farm way of life.