Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their second new applications report for April 2026, covering the period from 13–21 April.
In the report was an application accusing an employer of unionbusting. Okay, it never used the term unionbusting, but let’s review the details, and you can see for yourself.
Local 2103 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America filed the application on 15 April 2026 on behalf of workers employed by Aura Environmental Restorations Ltd.
Based out of Calgary, Aura Environmental Restorations Ltd. specializes in hazardous materials abatement.
According to the application summary provided by the labour board, 5 workers employed by Aura had been laid off. Then shortly after Local 2103 applied for union certification, the company permanently terminated the employment of these workers.
The union claims that these terminations were a result of each of the 5 workers indicating support for unionization.
In their application, Local 2103 argued that these action violate several 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, 148.1.a.ii
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall (a) refuse to employ or to continue to employ any person or discriminate against any person in regard to employment or any term or condition of employment because the person is a member of a trade union or an applicant for membership in a trade union, has indicated in writing the person’s selection of a trade union to be the bargaining agent on the person’s behalf, or has exercised any right under this Act
Labour Relations Code, 149.1.a.i and 149.1.a.viii
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, 149.1.c
