A controversial anti strike bill will be appealed by the Alberta government. After Premier Jim Prentice met with top officials of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Alberta branch, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), and the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA). After the meeting Prentice announced that the Alberta government will repeal The Public Sector Services Continuation Act, also known as Bill 45. The bill was passed in December of 2013 but has never been proclaimed. The bill proposes stiffer penalties for unions and members who engage in illegal strikes, with the penalty of $1 million each day of illegal strike action. The passage of the bill was shortly after the Edmonton Remand Centre experienced a very costly wildcat strike. Prentice said that in his opinion the bill should not have passed in the first place.

During a news conference about the repeal of the anti strike bill by the Alberta government Jim Prentice stated “I didn’t go into this meeting offering to repeal Bill 45 as a negotiating chip. That was not the point…the purpose of the discussion today was to reset the table. I don’t agree with (Bill 45). I don’t agree with the content of the legislation and we will move forward and define essential service legislation that is as respectful of the rights of our employees as it is respectful of taxpayers. This is not about rolling back contracts. This is about working together to find solutions as we go forward that reflect the fiscal circumstances that we’re in.”