Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their second new applications report for May 2026, covering the period from 4–11 May.
In it was an application regarding unionbusting.
Local 5220 of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, otherwise known as just the United Steelworkers, filed the application on 8 May 2026.
Now, technically, the summary provided by the ALRB in their new applications report never used the term unionbusting. However, the application apparently accused the employer, AltaSteel Ltd., of employer interference.
Based in Edmonton, AltaSteel is a subsidiary of the Japanese steelmaking company Kyoei Steel Ltd. AltaSteel is based out of Edmonton and has a scrap-based mini-mill operation in nearby Sherwood Park, where their workers recycle steel scrap into carbon steel products.
They employ over 200 workers at their Sherwood Park plant, who are members of USW Local 5220.
The bargaining team for the workers has been waiting for a new collective agreement since last summer, when their previous one expired.
Negotiations had begun last June—almost a year ago—and both parties had tabled comprehensive offers. Unfortunately, AltaSteel had asked for more concessions than the workers were willing to give, and they twice voted down so-called final offers from the employer.
Their first vote was this past February, when 99% of the workers participating voted in favour of rejecting the offer.
The second vote came a month later. This one was supervised by the ALRB—because the employer wanted to force it on the workers. ALRB conducted the vote at the plant, so the turnout was much higher than the first time around. Even then, about 90% of those participating voted to reject it.
Rather than coming back to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair collective agreement, AltaSteel decided to file for a lockout poll last month, which would give them the power to lock the workers out of their own workplace.
The worker held their own strike vote, with 98.5% of those who participated voting in favour of striking.
In their employer interference applicaiton, USW local 5220 has accused AltaSteel of employer interference because they have been avoiding to meet with the bargaining team that was elected by the workers.
Employer interference violates section 148.1.a.ii of Alberta’s Labour Relations Code, which reads:
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall participate in or interfere with the representation of employees by a trade union
“Our goal is to negotiate a good, fair contract that works for both sides,” Jeff Kallichuk, a USW staff rep, told The Alberta Worker last month. “We are not interested in a labour dispute, but we will not back away from one if it comes to it.”
The ALRB has scheduled a resolution conference for next month—on the 17th—to hear this case.
Because the ALRB does not archive their new application reports, I have included a copy of this week’s report below for your convenience.
