Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their final new applications report for May 2026.
According to the report, Local 1325 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America filed one of the applications on 20 April 2026.
In their application, Local 1325 accused an employer of unionbusting.
To be clear, they never used the term unionbusting, but it does seem to be unionbusting.
The employer listed in the application summary was Sure Form Contracting Ltd. Based out of Edmonton, the company operates as a general contractor or specialized concrete contractor in civil construction projects.
Local 1325 has been trying to unionize carpenters employed by Sure Form Contracting.
Recently, according to the application summary, the employer laid off two workers. Local 1325 claims the layoffs were purposely done to “undermine the union’s efforts to represent” the carpenters, as well as to “compel the laid off employees and their remaining employees to refrain from becoming Union members”.
In the application summary that the ALRB provided, they report that Local 1325 is arguing that the layoffs violate 3 sections of Alberta’s Labour Relations Code.
If a trade union has applied for certification, no employer affected by the application shall, except in accordance with an established custom or practice of the employer or with the consent of the trade union or in accordance with a collective agreement in effect with respect to the employees in the unit affected by the application, alter the rates of pay, any term or condition of employment or any right or privilege of any of those employees during the time between the date of the application and the date of its refusal, or 30 days after the date of certification.
Labour Relations Code, 147.1
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
Labour Relations Code, 1478.1.a.ii
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall seek by intimidation, dismissal, threat of dismissal or any other kind of threat, by the imposition of a pecuniary or other penalty or by any other means, to compel an employee to refrain from becoming or to cease to be a member, officer or representative of a trade union
Labour Relations Code, 1478.1.a.ii
The ALRB has scheduled a hearing regarding these claims. It is set of 15 June 2026.
Listed in the application summary as contacts for Sure Form Contracting are Chad Maloney and Ryan Maloney, the company’s president and vice president, respectively.
Representing the Maloneys will be Steven T. Connors, a managing partner with Brownlee LLP. According to his company bio, “his primary practice area is labour and employment from a management perspective”.
Rob Carlson, the union’s campaign director of organizing for Northern Alberta, is listed the union contact. Their lawyer are Jacob Axelrod and Allison Purdon of Nugent Law Office.
According to their company bios, Axelrod “is a passionate advocate for workers” and Purdon “strives to provide clear and concise assistance to unions and workers”.
Because the ALRB does not archive their new application reports, I have included a copy of this week’s report for your convenience.
