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The union representing firefighters in Lethbridge, Alta., is calling on the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) to resign as it formally withdraws its membership from the coalition.
Brent Nunweiler, president of Lethbridge Fire Fighters IAFF Local 237, made the call in a Dec. 3 letter sent on behalf of his members.
In the letter to AFL president Gil McGowan — which was posted online and has been verified by CBC — Nunweiler called McGowan’s leadership untenable and said the union has decided to withdraw from the federation, a coalition of 26 unions representing more than 170,000 workers.
“Alberta’s labour movement needs leadership that can unite and effectively represent workers across all sectors in an increasingly challenging environment,” Nunweiler wrote.
Nunweiler cited the Alberta teachers strike in October, which he said highlighted “significant inaction, a lack of co-ordination and an overall sense of disorganization” within the federation.
The historic labour dispute saw 51,000 teachers off the job for three weeks. They were legislated back to the classroom when Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government invoked the notwithstanding clause.
“Our members deserve — along with every worker in this province — a labour federation that is capable, responsive and prepared to advocate for all workers regardless of which government is in power,” Nunweiler wrote.
“Unfortunately, we no longer have confidence that the AFL, under its current leadership, can meet that standard.”
In a statement to CBC Thursday, Nunweiler said he was disappointed that his private correspondence to McGown was made public.
He declined an interview request but confirmed the union’s withdrawal from the AFL, noting that many other Alberta firefighter associations have already done so in recent years.
“The direction and leadership of the AFL does not align with what our members expect and deserve.”
‘Too confrontational’
In a statement to CBC Thursday, McGowan said most firefighter union locals left the AFL more than a year ago because they believed the federation had become “too political and too confrontational with the UCP government.”
“This particular local stayed, but left because we weren’t successful in organizing a general strike to protest the Smith government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to strip teachers of their right to strike,” he added.
McGowan said he had spoken with Nunweiler and shared his frustration that the AFL had been unable to secure a consensus to call for a general strike.
“I committed to do the hard work of educating workers — both unionized and non-unionized — about why a general strike as a form of protest still needs to be firmly on the table in the context of a provincial government that has gone rogue on so many issues,” McGowan wrote.
“Our direction, especially on momentous decisions like a general strike, has to be supported by a majority of our unions.”
WATCH | Firefighters’ union calls for AFL president to resign:
Lethbridge firefighters’ union calls for president of Alberta Federation of Labour to resign
In a letter to the Alberta Federation of Labour, the union representing Lethbridge firefighters says it has lost confidence in the AFL’s leadership and that it is withdrawing.
McGowan said there was a strong consensus among unions in support of a mass walkout if the notwithstanding clause was used against teachers. But that consensus dissipated when the teachers decided to not defy back-to-work orders, he said.
He said the AFL has adopted a new strategic plan for labour advocacy in 2026 and hopes “firefighters will return to the fold when they see us putting our words into action.”