Albertan labour organizations and environmental groups declared their support for the Idle No More movement during a rally in Edmonton Monday.

In front of over 100 Idle No More demonstrators in Churchill Square, representatives from the Canadian Labour Congress, The Alberta Federation of Labour, Greenpeace Canada, The Alberta College of Social Workers, The Edmonton District Labour Council, and more, signed a declaration of solidarity with the movement.

The combined movement is being called Common Causes and aims to "defend democracy" by challenging Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative government's environmental legislation in omnibus Bill C-45.

"What you saw today is a number of key labour groups who are deeply concerned about their own members and their own ability to speak out on issues that matter to the average working person," said Common Causes spokesman Bill Moore-Kilgannon.

"But you also saw social workers, environmental groups, and recent immigrants coming here to say that all these things affect us as citizens and that's the debate we need to have in this country."

The Idle No More movement says Bill C-45 will further open access to resource exploitation on treaty lands, weaken local control over water, land and air, and erode aboriginal rights to protect their own culture and language.

Nancy Furlong, secretary treasurer of the Alberta Federation of Labour that acts on behalf of over 150,000 Albertans, said Bill C-45 is an attack on Canada's indigenous peoples as well as an attack on unions.

"(Harper) is destroying unions with bills specifically designed to silence the voices of the working people," said Furlong. "He does not share our values and he does not stand for fairness and we won't be idle any longer."

Greenpeace Canada said they were supporting the Idle No More movement to combat "Harper's atrocious omnibus bills."

"They are not only an attack on indigenous rights but on environmental laws and they are also an attack on the democratic rights of all Canadians," said Melina Laboucan-Massino with Greenpeace.

While agreeing there needs to be more public education about the movement, Moore-Kilgannon denied that the partnership between Common Causes and Idle No More will broaden the issues while simultaneously confusing the average Canadian.

"I don't see it diluting the issues at all, I see it strengthening them," he said. "The things that Idle No More is talking about: water, democracy, human rights, our relationship to each other... These are things that matter to everybody."

Moore-Kilgannon said Common Causes organizations will be involved with Idle No More in "various ways" but refused to say if they will join First Nations in blockading Alberta highways.

The rally was planned as a part of a national day of action in 25 Canadian cities to coincide with the resumption of parliament.

Edmonton Sun, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013
Byline: Matthew Dykstra

Edmontonians packed Allendale Community Hall Sunday evening for a discussion of Idle No More, as communities and organizations worldwide planned for a show of solidarity with the movement on Monday.

"The goal here is to educate," said Richard Merry, chair of the Council of Canadians' Edmonton chapter. The group organized Sunday's event, titled Building Edmonton Solidarity with Idle No More.

The discussion was a chance for people of all backgrounds to learn more about the movement and how to participate.

"We hope to stimulate people to support the grievances of First Nations people much more directly, not just to watch it," Merry said.

More than 100 people gathered in the hall to hear Tanya Kappo, a member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation who launched the Alberta version of Idle No More, speak about the movement.

Darian Selander, 24, attended the discussion with her brother, William Selander, 15, and friend Ellen Parsons, 24.

"It's a cause I want to know more about," said Selander, who has not been to any other Idle No More events.

"I've heard a lot of negative stuff about Idle No More, so I wanted to hear more about it from people who support it and are involved with it," Parsons said.

Mervin Grandbois, a member of the Cold Lake First Nation, was pleased to see so many people show an interest in learning about the movement.

"We need events like this to show that this is not only an aboriginal thing, it involves all people," Grandbois said.

The Edmonton event came as an assembly of 47 groups across Canada, including the Council of Canadians, prepared to launch a national effort Monday in support of Idle No More, timed to coincide with Parliament resuming in Ottawa.

United under the banner of Common Causes, the assembly's mandate includes defending democracy, social justice, the environment and human rights.

"We see the First Nations' struggles as a struggle of all Canadian people," Merry said.

Public Interest Alberta is one of the organizations joining Common Causes.

Executive director Bill Moore-Kilgannon helped put together an event at Churchill Square Monday that will feature speakers and a tea dance with the Dene Tha' Drummers.

"We are all deeply concerned about how we, as citizens, can make sure those voices that are concerned about the environment, health care, foreign policy, and human rights are being heard. Common Causes joining up and supporting Idle No More is really what (Monday) is all about," Moore-Kilgannon said.

While flash mobs and rallies have been used to protest Bill C-45 and C-38, Moore-Kilgannon said teach-ins are now helping people, many of whom are not First Nations, delve deeper into the issues the Idle No More movement addresses.

A teach-in session on Sunday afternoon connected the labour movement with Idle No More, attracting close to 100 people. Morningstar Mercredi, who has been active with Idle No More, was the main organizer of the event.

"We are all idle no more because of the bills, because of (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper's mandate, because of his inability to consult," said Mercredi.

Mercredi isn't surprised Idle No More is expanding to labour groups and other organizations.

"The bills will affect and have direct impact on every person, every single women, child, elder, man, everyone," she said.

Amanda Freistadt, a representative with the Canadian Labour Congress, attended the teach-in Sunday and plans to be at Churchill Square Monday.

"If we make connections with each other and we share commonalities and we build relationships with each other, we have the ability to influence progressive change in a way that we wouldn't if we didn't get together," Freistadt said.

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, was also in attendance.

"We in the labour movement share the First Nation communities' concerns about this breakneck approach to development, because we don't think that it's in the long-term best interest of Canadians who own the resource, whether they're aboriginal or non-aboriginal," McGowan said.

"It's not just about First Nations, it's about all of us and all of our relations to each other and to our environment," Moore-Kilgannon said.

Edmonton Journal, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013
Byline: Carilynn Klingbeil

Temporary Foreign Worker program under the microscope

• The program will be reviewed due to criticism over the approval of a deceitful application that allowed a northeast B.C. coal project to hire 200 Chinese nationals for jobs that could have been filled locally. The AFL has concerns that the review will be used as a smokescreen to hide deeper problems, and called for meaningful participation from labour activists and from the public at large.
  
  If they want to find the source of the problems with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the Harper Conservatives just need to look in the mirror," AFL president Gil McGowan said. "They created this monster by removing any checks and balances from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and by rubberstamping every application."
  
  For more information see Nov 9 AFL release and backgrounder.

AFL and UFCW lead the charge for food safety

• The Alberta Federation of Labour and United Food and Commercial Workers are calling on Premier Alison Redford to stand up for the province's beef industry by conducting an independent public inquiry.
  
  In a public letter sent to the Premier on Thursday, October 18, AFL president Gil McGowan and UFCW Local 401 president Doug O'Halloran explained the reasons a public inquiry into the causes of the E.Coli outbreak at the Lakeside plant in Brooks would be in the best interest of consumers, the cattle industry and of Albertans.
  
  Read the whole story:  Oct 18 AFL Release
  
  

Urgent Action

Help us defeat Bill C-377

• The Alberta Federation of Labour is calling on all of our affiliates and members to help quash the anti-union Bill C-377.
  
  This private-members bill is not about transparency; it is an effort on the part of the Harper Government to undermine the ability of unions to act as an effective voice for working people. The bill is designed to increase costs to unions and divert resources from collective bargaining and servicing towards accounting and bureaucracy.
  
  "This is a political bill. In the same way that they have cut funding to environmental groups and women's groups, they are trying to weaken and muzzle a strong progressive voice," Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. "We have an obligation to act together to protect the labour movement, and in doing so, protect broader civil society."
  
  To join the fight, contact your Member of Parliament:  CLICK HERE
  
  Download the AFL Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-377:  CLICK HERE

Events

November 23-25: Parkland Institute's 16th Annual Fall Conference: Petro, Power and Politics

November 24: International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women

December 4: AFL Open House

December 7: Deadline to register for 2013 AFL/CLC Winter School

Did you know ...

• In 2010, 74 per cent of employers with workers under the TFW Program were found to be in violation of the Alberta Labour Code.
  
  
• There are currently more than 60,000 Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta, giving the province the biggest TFW population in Canada as a proportion of the labour force.
  
  
• More than 50,000 additional TFW applications from Alberta employers were approved in 2011.
  
  
• Between 2002 and 2008, the number of TFWs present in Canada rose by 148 per cent, from 101,259 to 251,235.

Union leaders oppose bill that targets indigenous rights

Edmonton - The Alberta Federation of Labour is urging Canadians to be Idle No More in opposing Bill C-45.

On the morning of Friday, Dec. 21, union representatives marched with First Nations leaders and Albertans from all walks of life in Edmonton at an “Idle No More” rally against the Harper Government, which has pushed through a wide-ranging bill that undermines First Nations’ treaty rights.

 “Environmentalists, unions, churches, charities, women's groups, and now First Nations - all have been affected by systematic dismantling of anyone who stands opposed to a right-wing agenda,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “It is time to draw a line. It is time, in fact, for us all to be Idle No More.”

Bill C-45 brings changes to the Indian Act that will fast-track the process for aboriginals to surrender their reserve lands by lowering the threshold of community consent needed to hand over territory.

 “The Alberta labour movement stands in solidarity with the struggles given voice by Idle No More. In our province, we extend the offer of solidarity and support to those who are speaking out for a better life, better health care, better education, better housing, and an end to racism and inequality.”

Similar rallies have been organized all over Canada, including a main mass rally in Ottawa. Idle No More has involved round-dances in shopping malls in Saskatchewan and Edmonton, roadblocks on Northern Alberta highways, and a high-profile hunger strike on Parliament Hill. Its pictures, and messages have gone viral on social media, including thousands of messages on twitter with the hashtag #idlenomore.

“Canadians are frustrated with a lack of consultation,” McGowan said. “And it’s inspiring to see so many people voicing their solidarity with a grassroots movement that brings together people from all walks of life. Over the past five years, the Harper government has voiced platitudes about First Nations, while cutting funding, abandoning claim negotiations, ignoring a crisis of missing and murdered aboriginal women, and undermining the environmental laws that protect the land and water resources that vital to many Indigenous communities. Canadians are saying that they will not allow their government to remain idle about these issues. ” 

-30-

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780-218-9888 (cell)
Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email orokne@afl.org.

Letter in response to "Hooray for C-377"

In response to Lorne Gunter's column on Saturday, Dec. 15

Unions are some of the most democratic and accountable organizations in Canada. Union Members have a right to know how their dues are spent – and they do, through annual reports, conventions, and audits. It should be noted that union leadership is elected by the membership and accountable to that membership.

Bill C-377 isn't about transparency – Canadian unions are already transparent. C-377 is a political bill that will divert union resources to fulfilling arcane accounting measures, and will mean they are less able to represent workers and Canadians.

Public policy should be used to promote and enhance the public good, not as a tool to punish, intimidate or weaken individuals or groups that don't agree with the government. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Bill C-377 does.

Gil McGowan, President
Alberta Federation of Labour

Sent to the Edmonton Sun on Monday, Dec. 17 2012

The president of the Alberta Federation of Labour says Bill C-377 goes above and beyond transparency.

The bill, which passed through the House of Commons, requires unions to provide detailed annual financial filings to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Gil McGowan says Bill C-377 is a way for the Harper government to silence unions.

"For example, under this legislation we're going to have to give detailed financial information about how much money is in our strike fund," says McGowan. "This is information that is obviously going to be used against us by employers."

The Tory member who introduced the bill, backbencher Russ Hiebert, says unions should be subject to the same public reporting as charities.

"I certainly don't have a problem with sharing financial information with our members, they deserve to know and that's exactly what we do," says McGowan. "The Harper government is leaving the impression that we don't do that and they're forcing us to a level of disclosure that no other organization in society has to do."

"We're going to be filing paperwork upon paperwork in order to be in compliance with this legislation." (ks)

iNews880AM, Thursday Dec 13 2012
Byline: Kim Smith

Edmonton - The speedy passage of Bill C-377 is evidence that the legislation is not about transparency, but about punishing unions, according to labour activists.

The private members bill brought forward by Tory backbencher Russ Hiebert imposes expensive and onerous accounting requirements on unions, pension funds, and other professional organizations. It was rushed into the legislature for a third vote on Wednesday, Dec. 12.

“All Canadians should be concerned about this piece of legislation,” Alberta Federation of Labour president McGowan said. “Whether you’re union or non-union, all working Canadians benefit by having a strong labour movement around to fight for good wages, good benefits, quality public services, and safe workplaces. All Canadians, union or non-union, benefit when there’s someone there to stand up for the little guy and stand up to big corporations with deep pockets.”

Last week in parliament, debate on Bill C-377 continued beyond the normally-allotted one hour of debate time for a private members bill. The bill would have been stalled at second reading, but in an unusual move, MP Earl Dreeshen gave up the time that was allotted to his private-members bill to allow C-377 to proceed this week.

“The surprising haste with which Bill C-377 was passed is an indication that the Tories didn’t want to subject it to the type of scrutiny the matter deserved,” McGowan said. “We’ve known all along that this bill isn’t about transparency, it’s about silencing those who would dare to criticize the regressive, unCanadian agenda of the Harper government. If it was about transparency, they would have passed the bill in a transparent manner.”

Although Bill C-377 was opposed by all parties other than the Conservatives, the bill passed by a margin of 147 to 135 votes, with five Conservative MPs dissenting from their own party. 

The Canada Revenue Agency has said that it will take until 2015 at the earliest to implement and to put into place accounting measures to collect and distribute the information required by the bill.  According to independent estimates, administration of the bill will cost taxpayers upwards of $20-million dollars.

“The bill that they passed so hastily is badly written, poorly thought-out, and won’t survive a challenge in the courts,” McGowan said, noting that the bill has come under fire from the Canadian Bar Association, other professional organizations, pension fund managers and the Canadian privacy commissioner. The reporting requirements are far more onerous and expensive than charities or corporations. Not even governments are subjected to the same level of public reporting. “Public policy should be used to promote and enhance the public good, not as a tool to punish, harass, intimidate or weaken individuals or groups that don’t agree with the government. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Bill C-377 does. It’s an abuse of government power and has no place in a democratic country like Canada.”

McGowan added that when the bill goes to the Senate early in the New Year, he hopes the upper house will take a good look at the legislation and quash it.

“Although there is currently a 60-person Conservative majority in the 105-person senate, the body has in the past shown independence and provided Canadians with the ‘sober second thought’ that is seriously needed in this case,” McGowan said.

AFL President Gil McGowan will be available to take questions today from noon - 1:00 pm at the:

Ironworker’s Hall
10512 – 122 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5N 1M6

or by phone at 780-218-9888

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780-218-9888 (cell)
Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email orokne@afl.org.

EDMONTON - Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan will be available to speak to media this evening about the vote on Bill C-377.

The bill, which critics say will undermine the ability of unions to act as an effective voice for working people, is expected to reach third reading today. If it passes that vote, it could be ratified by the Senate early in 2013.

“This is a political bill. In the same way that they have cut funding to environmental groups and women’s groups, they are trying to weaken and muzzle a strong progressive voice,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “Bill C-377 violates the Charter rights of Canadians, including the right to privacy and the right to association. It’s a badly written bill, and will likely not survive a challenge in the courts.”

-30-

CONTACT: Gil McGowan, AFL president, 780-218-9888

Edmonton activists stage 'wait-in' at MPs office

Union activists in Edmonton participated in a national 'wait-in' to protest the punitive anti-worker Bill C-377 today.

The private members bill, which targets unions through punitive accounting regulations, is expected to be voted on this week, and could go to the senate by Thursday. In Edmonton, labour activists, including members of the Alberta Federation of Labour, camped out for several hours in the office of James Rajotte asking to speak to the Conservative MP.

"This is a political bill. In the same way that they have cut funding to environmental groups and women's groups, they are trying to weaken and muzzle a strong progressive voice," AFL president Gil McGowan said. "Labour groups all over Canada are visiting their Members of Parliament today to let them know that this bill is unacceptable."

The bill has been slammed by the Canadian Bar Association because provisions in the bill violate guarantees of freedom of expression and association, making it vulnerable to a court challenge under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Bill C-377 casts a wide net," McGowan said. "It's targeted at unions, but will also harm other organizations, including companies that do business with unions, legal associations, professional associations and charities. It's a complete mess."

Last Friday, amendments to the bill were being debated, but time ran out for debate. Under normal circumstances, the bill would have been put aside until the New Year. But backbencher Alberta MP Earl Dreeshan gave up the time that had been allotted to his private members bill so that C-377 could get an additional hour of debate. The bill goes for a second hour of debate today at 5:30 PM Central Time (3:30 MT).

"This is straight out of the Tea Party playbook: undermine unions and defund anyone who disagrees with them," McGowan said. "We're fighting this because Canada needs progressive voices who will stand up for health care, for seniors, for workers, and for the kind of society that Canadians are proud of."

-30-

MEDIA CONTACT:

Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780-218-9888 (cell)

Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email orokne@afl.org

Harper’s new ownership guidelines won’t stop Chinese from exerting control in Alberta’s oil sands,
according to new AFL report

CALGARY – Albertans concerned about the future of the oil sands should not be reassured by new guidelines for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) unveiled by Prime Minister Stephen Harper late Friday afternoon.

A new report prepared by the Alberta Federation of Labour entitled “China’s Gas Tank” shows that the Chinese have a plan for the oil sands – a plan that is not in the long-term best interests of the citizens of Alberta who are the real owners of the resource.

“Now that they own Nexen, the Chinese government will have control over the marketing of about 300,000 barrels of bitumen a day and they will increase their control of Syncrude, Canada’s largest oil sands producer, which will now have representatives from Sinopec and CNOOC on its board wielding veto power,” says AFL president Gil McGowan.

AFL president Gil McGowan will be available for media at the Canadian Council of Chief Executives conference in Calgary at the Palliser Hotel.

Where:
Outside the Alberta Ballroom
Palliser Hotel Calgary
133 - 9th Ave. SW, Calgary

Monday, Dec. 10, 12:30 p.m.

Who:
Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour (780) 218-9888

-30-