REPORTof the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

INTRODUCTION

Greetings to all the delegates attending this convention. On your behalf we are pleased to present this report - outlining the activities of your Federation over the past two years. On one level the environment in Alberta for working people and the Alberta Federation of Labour has not changed. We could have copied the report from last convention.

The Alberta economy is still growing.  We are still recording unprecedented financial profits. Unemployment is still relatively low. Our political and business leaders, while ignoring our growing social deficit, are bragging about the "Alberta Advantage". Alberta has just come through a provincial election and instead of realizing Albertan's frustration with a change in government, we saw an even larger Conservative majority. Legislation has been passed paving the way for private hospitals and our public education system is at risk.

The Alberta Federation of Labour has responded to these challenges. We have been on every picket line; we have challenged this government on their social policies. We played a major roll in the campaign to save our public health care. We have demanded lower class sizes and lower tuition for post secondary education. Throughout this convention you will be given reports, hear speeches and panel discussions, debate resolutions and pass policy papers. All of these reflect the challenges facing us and the actions proposed and taken by your Federation.

On other levels, however, the environment is very different. In the past two years, we have seen a growing militancy by our members and the public. Militancy around issues that are broader in nature - trade agreements. Albertans and Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned about our governments and large corporations taking away our right to a fair and democratic decision making process. We have seen the activism in Vancouver, Seattle, Windsor, Quebec and here in Alberta around the Bill 11 campaign. More and more we are seeing Canadians taking action against governments that they do not believe is acting in the best interests of all Canadians. And working people in Alberta are joining in. That means the AFL needs to be a part of the action.

Another challenge for the Labour movement over the past two years has been internal. The Canadian Auto Workers have been sanctioned by the Canadian Labour Congress for their activities around raiding. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees have been suspended by their national union, the National Union of Government and Public Employees Union, for their activities with regards to their position on workers' abilities to move from Union to Union. Both these actions have had a direct effect on the AFL. It has meant a significant drop in our membership. That translates to a significant drop in our revenue. The AFL executive council has responded in several ways. You will hear about them and be a part of the discussions and decisions throughout this convention.  A drop of revenue will impact the work of the federation.  Make no mistake - the face of the Federation will change. How is up to all of us. We must find ways to ensure that the working people of Alberta continue to be represented by a strong labour central and that the Federation is active.

But the impact on the labour movement, both here in Alberta and across Canada is not just financial. We are not a united labour movement at this point. We have serious concerns and we need to be a part of the solutions. We need to put the issues on the table and talk about them. We need to work out solutions to our disputes. And in the end, we need to have rules, our constitutions that everyone abides by. These are big challenges for us.  It is never easy working through the internal issues. But work through them we must!

Labour News

The Alberta Federation of Labour continues to publish its monthly tabloid newspaper, Labour News. Circulated free to all Federation affiliates, Labour News covers economic, social and political events from a labour perspective.

Over the past two years, Labour News has won a number of awards from the Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM) - including the awards for best feature writing and best news photo. As a result of the high quality of the research and writing going into Labour news, it has earned a reputation as one of the best labour publications in the country.

 Since our last Convention, Labour News has been published thirteen times. Each edition has contained at least 20 articles written by either AFL staff members or volunteers from affiliated unions. Labour News has also been successful in attracting advertising - enough revenue has consistently been generated from ads to cover printing costs.

 In terms of content, Labour News continues to print a wide variety of articles, commentaries, editorials, news stories, reviews and features of interest to union activists. The newspaper makes a special effort to cover the activities of affiliated locals, Labour Councils and labour's social partners.

Strikes and Job Actions

 The AFL continues to play an instrumental role in mobilizing affiliates to support striking workers. The Federation has been particularly effective in organizing support pickets and arranging for financial support for striking locals. The following is a list of job actions taken by unions in Alberta over the past two years:

Communication Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Local 855 - Spring 1999
Workers at the Weldwood Pulp Mill and Hi-Atha Sawmill in Hinton won wage and benefit improvements after a short strike.

United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 6034 - Spring-Summer 1999
After a seven-week strike, workers at Caradon Indalex West of Calgary won a new contract and a 15 percent wage increase over five years.

United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 5220 - Fall 1999
After a strike that last several weeks, 260 workers at AltaSteel in Edmonton won a new contract which addressed their concerns about wages, benefits and job security.

Grain Services Union (GSU) - Fall 1999
In the fall and early winter of 1999-2000, grain-handling workers employed by Agricore walked off the job in communities across the province. The main reasons for the job action were concerns about job security and opposition to major concessions being demanded by the employer.

Communications Energy Paperworkers (CEP) Local 115A and Graphic Communication International Union (GCIU) Local 34M - Fall 1999-Spring 2000
In November 1999, about 160 editorial workers went on strike against the Calgary Herald in an effort to win a first collective agreement. The editorial workers were joined on the picket line by production workers (members of GCIU) who were hoping to renegotiate their existing contract.

The strike quickly became a battle between democratic freedom and corporate control. On one side, the workers were taking a stand in defense of press freedom and the right to organize. On the other side, there was media mogul Conrad Black asserting his "right" to use or misuse his power as he saw fit.

The workers received substantial support from the public and the Alberta labour movement. However, Black took advantage of Alberta's labour law (which makes no provisions for first-contract arbitration) and simply refused to bargain.

The GCIU members eventually settled and went back to work. In June 2000, after eight months on the picket line CEP members voted reluctantly to accept a back-to-work agreement that dissolved their bargaining unit. In the end, the Herald strike was yet another example of how Alberta's labour laws undermine the democratic right of workers to organize by putting virtually unlimited power in the hands of employers.

Boilermakers Local D-513 - Winter 2000
Workers at the Georgia-Pacific plant in Edmonton won an important victory early in 2000 after walking the picket line for several weeks. The workers went on strike after the company - the largest building products manufacturer in North America - demanded cuts in overtime pay and benefits as well as a move to a new shift system that would have thrown several union members out of work. The workers eventually forced the company to back down on all their concession demands.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 - Spring 2000
In March and April of 2000, about 165 workers at Canbra Foods shut down the company's canola processing plant in Lethbridge. The workers won a new contract with wage and benefit improvements.

Communication Energy Paperworkers (CEP) Local 447 - Spring 2000
In April 2000, about 120 workers went on strike at Weyerhauser's oriented strand board plant in Edson. The workers succeeded in winning a new contract that included none of the concessions originally demanded by the employer.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) - Spring 2000
On May 24-25, 2000, more than 10,000 AUPE members staged a dramatic two-day strike at hospitals and health care facilities across the province. The strike was deemed illegal under Alberta law - but it led to a new contract with substantial wage and benefit improvements for workers.

Retail and Wholesale Workers - Canadian Autoworkers (CAW) Local 285 - Spring-Summer 2000
Warehouse workers and drivers employed by the Edmonton branch of Brewers Distributors Ltd. (BDL) were locked out by their employer early in the spring of 2000. BDL then contracted out all deliveries of Molson and Labatt products in northern Alberta to a non-union company called MTE Logistix. The union was eventually able to secure a generous severance package for all its members - but their jobs were lost. The union also won a precedent-setting decision at the Labour Relations Board (LRB) regarding secondary picketing. The LRB ruled that the Alberta Labour Code's prohibition on secondary picketing contravenes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Union of Canadian Transportation Workers, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) - Summer 2000
During the summer of 2000, about 120 PSAC members working at the Edmonton International Airport went on strike against their employer, the Edmonton Regional Airport Authority. The main issues of the strike were job security and contracting out.

United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 9302 - Fall 2000
The staff of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees took to the picket line for two-and-a-half months last fall after their employer demanded significant rollbacks in benefits. The workers eventually agreed to a contract that provides for an 8 percent wage increase over two years. Unfortunately, the agreement also included significant benefit reductions.

Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 583 - Winter-Spring 2001
Bus drivers and trades people working for the City of Calgary's transit system went on strike for seven weeks between February and April 2001. The main goals of the strike were to halt the expansion of the City's lower-wage shuttle bus fleet and seek wage and benefit improvements for drivers and trades people.

International Association of Machinists (IAM) Local 1681 - Winter-Spring 2001
About 35 IAM members working for an airplane-maintenance company in Edmonton called Air Terminal Services have been on strike for a first collective agreement since late December 2000. The employer, a U.S. based company with an anti-union history, is taking advantage of Alberta's lax labour laws to avoid negotiating a deal with the workers' duly elected bargaining agent.

Bill 11 Campaign

 In January 2000, the Alberta Federation of Labour and a coalition of other labour and community groups launched a province-wide campaign against the Klein government's controversial private health care law, Bill 11. The coalition helped pay for radio and TV ads, information booklets, a website and a series of information forums - all aimed at revealing the dangers posed by private health care.

 But while the campaign to stop Bill 11 was started by organized opposition groups, it quickly became a true grassroots movement. Thousands of ordinary Albertans with little or no past history of activism joined the campaign -- which reached its high point in mid-April with two major rallies in Edmonton and Calgary.

 Naysayers predicted that the events would be flops - even many of the organizers worried about filling the halls. But 3,000 people packed into the Stampede Centre in conservative Calgary and nearly 7,000 filled the AgriCom in Edmonton to overflowing.

 The rallies also acted as a catalyst for two-and-half weeks of protests at the Legislature. Night after night, thousands of people kept coming back to demonstrate their opposition to Bill 11 by singing, chanting and banging pots and pans.

 Significantly, protests were not restricted to Edmonton and Calgary. There were also vocal demonstrations in smaller communities like Fort McMurray, Lethbridge and Red Deer. The scope and energy of the opposition surprised almost everyone - even government spokespeople publicly admitted they had "lost the communications war."

 As a result of the campaign against Bill 11, the government was forced to make a number of important concessions. For example they promised to open more public MRIs; they announced $180 million in new spending; and they extended Medicare coverage to include soft lens for cataract surgeries.

 Unfortunately, despite all these victories, the AFL and our coalition partners were unable to achieve our main goal - stopping Bill 11. In May 2000, the Bill was given royal assent by the Lieutenant Governor, Lois Hole. So far, no private companies have applied to set up private hospitals under the new law - but that it's just a matter of time until they do. In the meantime, the AFL will continue to monitor the situation and work with groups like Friends of Medicare to draw attention to the spread of private health care.

Membership Forum

 More than one hundred delegates participated in the first Alberta Federation of Labour Membership Forum on May 12 and 13, 2000. The Forum, which was mandated by Convention to be held in those years where no convention is scheduled, is intended to accomplish two main objectives. The first goal of the forum was to provide educational and mobilizing opportunities to the membership. The second goal was to stimulate debate, and to provide a forum for frank, informal exchanges of views between the executive and union activists.

 This year's Forum was organized around the theme, Labour and the Law, and featured several keynote speakers, expert workshops on current labour law issues, and a panel and plenary on the arbitration process.

 University of Calgary Industrial Relations Professor Alan Ponak opened the conference with a strong presentation on the benefits of the Rand Formula for trade unions.

 "It is unlikely that labour can convince this government to ban the use of strikebreakers or provide first contract arbitration," said Ponak. "But, it very possible for labour to get the Rand Formula - which I consider to be at least as important to labour as the other two provisions."

 At an organized lunch, labour lawyer Lyle Kanee of Chivers, Greckol and Kanee, spoke about negotiating family friendly collective agreements. He urged labour to deal with the growing conflict between work and family demands on Canadian workers, and offered several thought-provoking solutions.

 On afternoon of May 13, delegates attended workshops by legal experts on a wide variety of topics ranging from video surveillance in the workplace to strike-related misconduct. In the morning plenary, the membership enthusiastically endorsed the Federation's threefold action plan for the next twelve months, as outlined by President Audrey Cormack. The plan focused on promoting organization; publishing a booklet on Alberta's economic situation, told from a labour perspective; and preparing a concise and complete analysis of why workers need unions and labour laws that protect unions.

Administration

 As usual, the AFL's activity on social and labour issues has created an immense amount of administrative work for the Federation's office staff. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff members for their hard work over the past two years.

 The year 2000 brought a major change in staffing at the Federation. Long-time employee Felice Young literally left the AFL for "greener pastures." She and her partner Larry are currently in the process of starting their own buffalo farm. We wish them the best of luck!

 Felice's position at the AFL was filled by Lydia Lanman, a recent graduate of the University of Alberta. Lydia has taken on responsibility for both the Women's Committee and the International Solidarity Committee.

 Unfortunately, not all the news on the staffing front is good. As a result of the unexpected loss of AUPE as an affiliate, the Federation has been forced to find ways to cut costs. The officers and the Executive have been doing everything in their power to reduce the impact - but they saw no way to avoid at least temporary lay-offs for some staff. Lay-off notices were given to Maureen Werlin and Lydia Lanman at the beginning of April. Unless new sources of revenue are found, they will be without jobs immediately following the Convention.

 The cash crunch has also had an effect on other aspects of the Federation's day-to-day operations. For example, instead of leasing new computer equipment as had been planned, then AFL is now planning to buy-out the lease on the current computer system. This measure is expected to save the Federation several thousand dollars in the coming year.

 The AFL's tight financial situation has also made it difficult to proceed with contract negotiations with the staff. The agreements for both support and executive staff (members of OPEIU and CEP respectively) have expired but no negotiations are currently scheduled - at least until after Convention.

World March of Women

 Women and labour have been the largest victims of neo-liberal and neo-conservative policies. In an effort to fight these governments, and overcome these barriers, the Alberta Federation of Labour joined the World March of Women 2000.

 The concept of the World March was born out of two Canadian experiences: the Women's March Against Poverty organized by the Federation des Femmes du Quebec in 1995, and the National Women's March Against Poverty organized by the Canadian Labour Congress and the National Action Committee on the Status of Women held throughout Canada in 1996.

 Women from 154 countries waived their differences, built a consensus and marched in solidarity against poverty and violence against women in the year 2000. The actions implemented in the campaign raised the conscience of world leaders to the millions of women who must fight for basic needs, and who endure physical, emotional and sexual abuse on a daily basis.

 Levels of action began on March 8, 2000, International Women's Day, and concluded on October 17, 2000, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

 The Federation was involved in the march on several levels that included participation in national and international lobbying efforts, participation in and organization of localized and national World March events, and production and distribution of World March information and educational materials. During the World March of Women, the AFL endeavored to implement the demands and issues of the march into the Federation's communications materials and planned events, raising awareness of the march, provincially.

Day of Mourning

 The AFL has continued to raise the profile of the International Day of Mourning around the province, commemorating workers who were killed on the job. April 28 is now marked in every Alberta centre by ceremonies, flags at half-mast or minutes of silence in workplaces. The AFL has made a point in each of the past three Days of Mourning to release new research relating to workplace safety and fatalities, showing that the scourge of workplace death has not left us. More workers are being killed in Alberta than ever before. The AFL has also participated in a number of regional ceremonies as well as the Calgary and Edmonton ceremonies.

WCB

 The AFL has continued to push for change at the Workers Compensation Board. There has been much to change at the WCB in the past two years. The AFL has been vocal in challenging WCB actions, such as the $100,000 donation to the Track and Field games and questioning the President's large salary increases at a time when injured workers are being denied their right to fair compensation. Other priorities have been to push for more accountability from WCB and support for a group Medicine Hat workers who filed a lawsuit for their workplace illnesses. AFL has taken a lead role in the WCB Labour Coalition, which includes AFL affiliates, Building Trades and independent unions. Most recently the Coalition has been pushing the Minister of Human Resources to implement recommendations from two review committees which criticized WCB policy and practices.

International Women's Day

 The Alberta Federation of Labour launched its World March of Women campaign with an International Women's Day march on March 11, 2000. The event, "Forward Together: Against Violence and Poverty" included speakers, performers and displays all focused on an effort to raise awareness about local and international women's issues. In 2001, the Federation used International Women's Day to highlight the importance of female voters in the provincial election. The Federation was also represented at IWD events in Edmonton and Calgary on March 10, 2001.
 

 In addition, the Federation presents an IWD award to a sister who has advanced women's issues in the Alberta labour movement. In 2000, Sister Cormack presented Sister Yvonne Schmitz of the Calgary and District Labour Council the award at an activity in Calgary on March 8th. Sister Frankie Nash of Local 855 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union was the 2001 IWD award recipient.

CONCLUSION

 Brothers & Sisters, I think you will see, through this report and others at convention, that the Alberta Federation of Labour has been active over the past two years. That is you - you are the Federation! And we are counting on you to be just as active over the next two years. As we have discussed the issues are as challenging - maybe more so. But our activism is critical to government's not wanting to recognize workers and their contributions and rights. And we must resolve our internal issues - because we know that together we are stronger! The executive council of the Alberta Federation commits itself to that struggle.

 Solidarity!

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