A government plan to formally deny ambulance workers the right to strike will poison the relationship between paramedics and their employers and make it easier for the government to sweep service-related problems under the carpet, says the Alberta Federation of Labour.

In a brief submitted to a government taskforce in mid June, the AFL said it’s not in the public’s best interest to see the government’s so-called "essential service" legislation expanded to cover emergency medical workers – thereby denying them the right to strike.

"If the recent dispute between paramedics and the City of Edmonton taught us anything, it’s that banning strikes and attempting to turn hard-working health care professionals into criminals simply does not work," says AFL President Les Steel.

The AFL brief was submitted to the government’s Taskforce on Ambulance Service Delivery, a special committee set up to decide if the temporary ban on strikes imposed on Edmonton paramedics should be made permanent.

The Federation’s brief argues that any move to outlaw strikes will inevitably undermine the bargaining process and poison relations between employers and workers.

"When workers have the right to strike there is a clear incentive for both parties to compromise and work towards agreement at the bargaining table," says the brief.

"However, in situations where workers do not have the right to strike, the employer has no real incentive to bargain in good faith. This is exactly what happened during the recent paramedics’ strike in Edmonton.

When employers use strike bans as an excuse not to bargain, workers end up feeling "under-valued" and "brushed off", says the brief. This poisons the relationship between employers and workers.

The AFL also says that a ban on strikes will make it easier for the province and various municipal governments to sweep service-related problems under the carpet.

"During negotiations leading up to the recent paramedics’ strike in Edmonton, the paramedics wanted to talk about inadequate staffing levels and the shortage of ambulances on Edmonton streets – especially when compared to Calgary," says Steel.

"But because the City was refusing to bargain in good faith, these issues were never addressed. Clearly, the public would have benefited from an open and frank discussion between management and the union on these issues."