News

October 2010: Pension reform; Lakoff lecture/workshop; health-care proposals; workplace injury and fatality records website

New poll shows massive support for pension reform

  • More than three quarters of Canadians support increasing Canada Pension Plan benefits, according to a new national survey released today by Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Public Service Alliance of Canada. For more information … To learn more about the campaign for pension reform and events being organized by the Alberta Federation of Labour and Canadian Labour Congress, go to …

Why the right wins … and how we can stop them

  • Albertans have a long history of electing right-wing governments. This has seriously affected the quality of our public debate and hampered our efforts to unionize and represent workers. How can progressives slay this political giant? To find out how, the AFL is bringing in George Lakoff, the communications mastermind behind the U.S. presidential campaign of Barack Obama. For more details …

Drop undemocratic changes to Alberta’s health laws

  • Friends of Medicare has launched a campaign to persuade Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky to abandon plans to change provincial health laws, after a legal opinion commissioned by the AFL said the proposals were “not consistent with a democratic society.” For more information …

Government’s safety records website gets failing grade

  • Alberta’s new website offering workplace injury and fatality records may be well intentioned, but presents only a bewildering array of statistics and little useful information for workers, says the AFL. For more information …

Urgent Action




Support U of A janitors in struggle for justice

  • A group of janitors at the University of Alberta is suing a cleaning company for tens of thousands of dollars, claiming that overtime money has not been paid. The janitors, many of whom are temporary foreign workers, say they have been threatened with deportation by their employer, University of Alberta contractor Bee Clean Building Maintenance. Show your support at an event at the University of Alberta, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19, Education Building Room 106, University of Alberta North Campus. For details of the event … For information and to sign a pledge in support of the workers, go to http://www.j4jatuofa.org/

Events


  • October 25, 2010 – CLC Pension Campaign Lobby Training Session, Edmonton
  • October 28/29, 2010 – George Lakoff Lecture/Workshop, Edmonton
  • November 5-7, 2010 – AB New Democratic Convention, Red Deer
  • November 16, 2010 – AFL Lobby Day, Edmonton
  • November 19-21, 2010 – Parkland Fall Conference, Edmonton
  • November 27, 2010 – AFL Pension Summit, Edmonton
  • December 5, 2010 – AFL Women’s Committee Commemorative Brunch, Edmonton

Did you know …


An analysis by the AFL of Alberta government spending shows that it has cut expenditure on environmental monitoring, while spending on public relations has soared. The research revealed:

  • 26% drop in spending on environmental monitoring, compliance, and enforcement. Alberta spent $27 million on monitoring, enforcement, and compliance programs in 2003. Budget 2010 projects Alberta Environment will spend $20 million this year.
  • 54% increase in spending on public relations since 2003. The Communications line for Alberta Environment grew from $717,000 in 2003 to $1.1 million for 2010.
  • 57% increase in spending by the Minister, Deputy Minister, and Communications from a combined total of $1.4 million in 2003 to a projected $2.2 million in 2010.

For more information …