Alberta Charities to Lose Millions Under Bill 32

New union dues opt-in provisions enacted as part of Bill 32 — the Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act — took effect in August 2022 and will cost community organizations millions in lost donations.

These opt-in provisions require union members to annually agree to pay the portion of union dues used for non-core activities. Non-core activities include routine union donations to charities, non-profit organizations, and other community groups to support their activities.

Parkland Institute conducted a survey of Alberta unions where we asked how the new Bill 32 opt-in rules will affect their financial support for different types of community organizations. This report presents the findings of the survey.

Co-author David Simpson is a psychology PhD student at the University of Alberta, and a research assistant in the Nash Social Neuroscience Lab.

Jason Foster

Jason Foster is the director of Parkland Institute and an associate professor of human resources and labour relations at Athabasca University. Jason is the author of Gigs, Hustles, & Temps (2023) and Defying Expectations: The Case of UFCW Local 401 (2018), as well as co-author of Health and Safety in Canadian Workplaces (2016). His research interests include workplace injury, union renewal, labour and employment policy, and migrant workers in Canada. He is committed to sharing research to as broad an audience as possible, so that it might contribute to policy change and making people’s lives better.

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