The Three Rights of Workers and Employment Standards
As an Alberta worker, you have rights – including the right to join or form a union. Unions, through collective bargaining, increase your rights and make sure employers honour them.
In Canada, and under the law in Alberta, there are three basic rights you have as a worker:
The right to refuse dangerous work and know you’re protected from reprisal.
In Alberta, workers have the legal right to refuse work they believe presents a danger to themselves or others. This right is protected under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which also prohibits employers from punishing workers for making such a refusal. For example, if a warehouse employee notices a forklift leaking corrosive battery acid, they can refuse to operate it until it’s deemed safe—without fear of being fired or disciplined.
The right to participate in health and safety discussions and committees.
You have the right to be informed about any hazards in your workplace and must be given access to basic health and safety information. Employers are legally required to communicate to you these risks and provide proper training. For example, if you work with chemical cleaners, you must be told about the potential dangers and shown how to handle them safely.
The Right to Participate in Health and Safety Discussions and Health and Safety Committees
Alberta workers have the right to actively participate in creating a safe workplace environment, including joining health and safety committees and contributing to safety discussions. This ensures workers have a voice in identifying hazards and recommending improvements. For instance, a warehouse worker who notices repeated near-miss incidents involving loading equipment can raise the concern, which should prompt changes to improve safety for everyone.
You also have one essential right: the right to join or form a union. Unions, through collective bargaining, increase your rights and make sure employers honour them.
Alberta employment standards and basic workers rights
Alberta workers who are not in a union have general rights, which are laid out in the Alberta Employment Standards. These rights, which without a Union are more difficult for employees to enforce, include things like minimum wages, minimum hours for shifts, minimum breaks and time off, and freedom from unfair treatment. Below are some frequently asked questions about these standards:
Workers’ Rights FAQ.
- A paid day off or
- 1.5 times your wage if you work the holiday (plus regular pay if it’s a scheduled shift).
To qualify, you must have worked at least 30 days in the past 12 months for the same employer.
- 90 days to 2 years: 1 week notice
- 2-4 years: 2 weeks notice
- 4-6 years: 4 weeks notice
- 6+ years: More weeks of notice (up to 8 weeks)
- Maternity leave: Up to 4 months(unpaid, but EI benefits may apply).
- Parental leave: Up to 18 months (can be taken by either parent). You must have worked for at least 90 days before taking leave.
- After 1 year: 2 weeks of vacation (4% of earnings).
- After 5 years: 3 weeks (6% of earnings).
- Vacation pay must be provided even if you don’t take time off.
- Report it to your employer (HR or management) in a tracible way such as email.
- Keep records of incidents.
- File a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission or OHS if necessary.
There’s power in numbers – why Teamsters 987 is important for your worker rights
The tricky part about these standards is that, as you probably noticed, they only afford workers the minimum level of protection. Workers without a union also have to navigate the system on their own, and that means finding, and trying to understand, the right resources, figuring out who to talk to and how to advocate for themselves. Sounds frustrating, doesn’t it?
This is where Teamsters 987 comes in – there are parts of employment that we can negotiate — usually through collective bargaining — such as improving your conditions of employment for things like wages, benefits, better job security, and generally helping to make lives better for their members. Learn more about the benefits of a unionizing with Teamsters 987.
If your workplace is not unionized and you have questions, get in touch! All conversations are 100% confidential.
Your collective bargaining agreement
If you’re already a member of a union, your workplace has its own unique collective bargaining agreement. This is a document which, for unionized workers, is the most important document that you have at your disposal to educate yourself about your rights at work. Getting to know the contents of these pages is the key to helping you to advocate for yourself and those around you on the job.
As every collective bargaining agreement is different, the specific terms will change from workplace to workplace. What won’t change will be the types of things that your union will fight for on your behalf when they go to the bargaining table. Your union representatives negotiate:
- Adequate pay for your hard work
- Reasonable hours on the job
- Protective safety standards in the workplace
- A fair amount of paid holidays
- Benefits to keep you and your family healthy
- Standards to ensure that you’re treated with respect by your coworkers and supervisors
Curious about the specifics around your rights? Your collective bargaining agreement has all of the details, and so does your shop steward and business agent.
If you see or experience things at work that are in conflict with your collective bargaining agreement, reach out to your union for assistance right away.
rights in Alberta.
