Campaigns & Issues

Down the Pipeline

Alberta may be booming, but something is wrong. Big construction and energy companies are relying less and less on Albertans to do the work on their projects. The huge oil sands projects plan to ship unrefined bitumen to the U.S. Many construction companies building those plants are using more temporary foreign workers and some are even planning to build the plants overseas and ship them here. The AFL is launching an effort to pressure the Alberta government to enact policies to help keep jobs in Alberta. Don't send Alberta jobs down the pipeline! [More]

Kids in Restaurants

In June 2005, the Alberta government changed Employment Standards rules to allow restaurants to hire 12-14 year olds without permission from government. This change has resulted in a dangerous arrangement where the government does not know where young workers are, so it can't protect them. The AFL believes Albertans have the right to know which employers are hiring adolescents to work in their restaurants - and so we have published a list of the employers hiring adolescents who have submitted the legal forms. [More]

Temporary Foreign Workers

In recent months, there has been much ado about the use of temporary foreign workers. Some construction employers are planning to use foreign workers to help them lower wages and working conditions and to avoid dealing with unions. The AFL is concerned about the exploitation of temporary foreign workers to fulfil a strategy of union-busting in the oilsands. [More]

Labour Relations Board

The Alberta Labour Relations Board (LRB) finds itself in a controversy surrounding its role in drafting Bill 27, a notorious anti-labour piece of legislation. Last year, the AFL revealed that two senior LRB officials were actively involved in drafting parts of the regulations, potentially placing the Board in a serious conflict of interest. Now, a respected law professor has written a report saying that the Alberta LRB lacks "transparency and accountability" which is creating a crisis of confidence among the Alberta labour movement. [More]

First Contract Arbitration

The bitter Lakeside Packers strike was not about wages and benefits, but was a struggle for basic dignity, and a right for the union to be recognized. Lakeside brought into clear view the real need in Alberta to find a way to prevent ugly picket lines over union recognition. First contracts are the hardest agreements to negotiate - and in Alberta there is nothing preventing an anti-union employer from busting the union rather than negotiate. Alberta is one of only three provinces that do not have special rules for first contract disputes. And it is time we changed that. The AFL has launched a campaign for First Contract Arbitration. [More]

Protection for Farm Workers

Farm workers in Alberta are exempt from most of the basic employment protections the rest of us take for granted. There are no rules governing their hours of work, rest breaks, no minimum wage, and no overtime or holiday pay. They can't refuse unsafe work, can't get WCB and can't join a union if they choose. The AFL wants to change that, and you can help. [More]

Health Care

Budget cuts. Privatization. Staff shortages. Over the past ten years, Alberta's health care system has been turned upside down. Learn more about some of the dangerous plans our provincial government has for health care in Alberta - and find out what you can do to help keep Medicare public! [More]

Phony Unions

Alberta Federation of Labour is warning workers in the province to take a careful look at some of the unions that are supposed to represent them. There is a growing trend in Alberta towards "dummy unions" established with the cooperation of the employer to block the formation of a real union representing the workers' interests. Their real purpose isn't to represent their members but to accommodate the employer. And workers should be aware. [More]

 

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