McKesson Canada workers hit the picket lines in Edmonton

• 213 members of UFCW 401 at McKesson Canada in Edmonton are on strike, with the issues including wage parity with employees in Calgary and increases to benefits that have not changed in five years and have been eroded by inflation. Instead, management is seeking concessions.  For more information ...

Alberta's jobs crisis continues

• While Canada has recently seen an increase in full-time employment, Alberta has bucked the trend and has been shedding full-time jobs - 9,600 of them between May and June 2010. Instead of acting to improve the situation, the Alberta government has cut job-training programs, mostly aimed at helping youth and aboriginal workers. Meanwhile, social assistance caseloads have soared by 50 per cent. Read more at ...

Alberta has a revenue problem, not a spending problem

• The Alberta government revenue system is broken, as witnessed by wildly fluctuating revenue predictions and the resulting intense pressure on public services including health care and education. It's time for a grown-up conversation about how to fix the system and ensure we have the funds to pay for vital public services. For "Which Way Will We Pay?" and more information ...

Minimum wage increases do not lead to job losses

• New Alberta Federation of Labour research shows employment in service industries actually grows after minimum wages increases, said AFL president Gil McGowan in his presentation to a government panel reviewing Alberta's minimum wage. For more, read ...

Urgent Action

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Join the rally to support workers at Calgary Stampede July 13!
Park Operations workers at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede are seeking a first contract and need your help. Join them in a rally near the Stampede ground Tuesday, July 13. For details ...

Events

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July 13, 2010 - IAMAW Rally, Calgary
Time: 9:00 a.m. - gather to hand out flyer
11:00 a.m. - rally begins
Location: Calgary Stampede Exhibition grounds, Southern LRT exit ramp, Erlton Station, 25th Avenue and Macleod Trail South

July 31, 2010 - CUPW Edmonton Sandtrap Open (union@cupwedm.net)

August 9 to 13, 2010 - AFL Kids' Camp

August 29, 2010 - Big Splash Open Golf Tournament

September 6, 2010 - Edmonton District & Labour Council Labour Day Barbeque

Did you know ...

 

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The Alberta government has cut funding to the following job-training programs:

• Youth Connections 26.59%
• Career Development Services 12.68%
• Basic Skills/Academic Upgrading 16.55%
• Summer Temporary Employment 22.48%
• Workforce Partnerships 34.36%
• Aboriginal Development Partnerships 7.39%

Which way will we pay for our vital public services?

• Despite all the media reports and shrill calls for cuts, Alberta does not have a spending problem, it has a revenue problem. We could raise billions of dollars simply by making our overall tax regime comparable to other provinces. In a new report, the AFL calls for a grown-up conversation about how we can pay for the vital public services Albertans want. To become a part of this conversation, join us as we launch our new report.  For details ...

Let the government know how much you still value public health care

• The Alberta government is pressing ahead with its controversial health-care plans, giving the public little opportunity to have a say. After intense pressure, it has reversed its policy on invitation-only meetings on the issue and is now allowing the public to attend. It also has an online survey, full of code words and language that replicates the rhetoric of Ralph Klein's Third Way and the 2002 Mazankowski report. Privatization of our health-care system remains a threat. For information ...

Spending cuts hurt youth and aboriginals just when they need help

• The Alberta government cut spending on employment training programs by $23 million, despite its own numbers showing dramatic job losses in the province. The recession is hurting young people, aboriginal people, workers in forestry industries, and workers in the construction trades, just to name a few. And yet, AFL analysis shows that the government targeted funding cuts to programs that benefit those Albertans. For press release ...

Remember Bill 11? We do

• Bill 11 (Alberta Healthcare Protection Act) was introduced in April 2000. It was a blatant attempt by the government to privatize health care, but opposition through protests organized by labour and the Friends of Medicare forced the government to remove most of the offensive sections.  For the poster ...

Urgent Action

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Sign the petition on the future of education in Alberta

• The Alberta Government intends to introduce a new School Act. This act needs to be based on some key principles, among them that educational success should not depend on the background, social status or economic characteristics of learners and their families. For Alberta to thrive, all children must have the opportunity to find and nurture their talent. To read more ...

Events

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June 21, 2010 - National Aboriginal Day
For more information on community events leading up to the celebration, go to: http://www.aboriginal.alberta.ca/documents/NAD_eventListJune16.pdf

June 22, 2010 - No Free Lunch: Financing the Priorities of Calgarians (Parkland Institute)

7:00 p.m., University Alberta Calgary Centre
120, 333 - 5 Avenue SW

For more information, go to http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=128332787200279&ref=mf

June 25, 2010 - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; June 26, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Labour Centre Meeting Hall (downstairs), 10425 Princess Elizabeth Avenue. For more information, go to: http://www.edlc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105:edmonton-municipal-election-training&catid=38:our-schools&Itemid=13

June 22, 2010 - Grande Prairie - Alberta Health Act Consultation

June 23, 2010 - Peace River - Alberta Health Act Consultation

Did you know ...

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• $5.5 billion - the amount Alberta could increase its revenue by abandoning the flat-rate income tax that benefits primarily wealthy Albertans;
• $10 billion to $18 billion - the amount Alberta could increase its revenue if it adopted an overall tax regime comparable to other provinces;
• $90 billion - the amount collected in non-renewable resource revenues since Alberta's net debt was eliminated in 1999-2000;
• $4 billion - amount put into the Heritage Fund since 2000;
• $5 billion - amount withdrawn from the Heritage Fund in since 2000;
• $135 billion - amount that would be in the Heritage Fund if all resource revenues had been put in since 2000;
• $7 billion - how much would be generated annually by the Heritage Fund of $135 billion;
• $135 billion - (that's another $135 billion) amount the province would have generated by collecting and saving resource rents at a rate closer to other oil-producing jurisdictions;
• $460 billion - the amount in Norway's Heritage Fund.

Have your say on health-care reform!

• The Alberta government is hosting 28 "invitation-only" meetings around the province as it plans sweeping changes to the health-care system. Friends of Medicare, supported by the Join Together Alberta campaign, is fighting to make sure the public has a voice by staging eight fully public meetings across the province. For more details ...

Alberta unprepared to keep workers safe if boom times return

• New research released by the AFL shows that government spending on workplace safety has not kept pace with growth in the provincial economy and population - and, as a result, workers around the province are being put at risk, especially if the economy ramps up for another boom. Click here for more information ...

Albertans have a right to a clean environment

• Inspired by NDP MP Linda Duncan's private member's bill to create a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights (Bill C-469), the AFL Environment Committee wants the Alberta government to craft an environmental bill of rights covering the citizens of the province. For full text of the bill ...

Alberta's political landscape is changing

• The emergence of the Wildrose Alliance Party and the fracturing of the political landscape presents challenges and opportunities for the labour movement. Read all about it in the new Spring/Summer edition of the AFL's Union magazine.

Urgent Action

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Keep up the pressure for workplace health and safety

• The Auditor General's report severely criticized the government for failing to enforce workplace safety laws and called for action, including the naming of repeat corporate offenders. The AFL has long fought for stronger health and safety standards and enforcement. Workers have a right to know whether their workplace is safe or not. There is still time to pressure the Employment Minister to act. See the AFL press release on the report and the Auditor General's report - occupational health and safety

Events

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June 9, 2010 - Calgary/June 11, 2010 - Medicine Hat
On to Ottawa Trek

• 75th Celebration of On to Ottawa Trek

Saturday, June 5, 2010, Changing Together - Annual Multi-cultural Day (Centre for Immigrant Women) - light supper and entertainment

June 25/26, 2010 - EDLC/CLC Municipal Election Training

June 25, 2010 - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; June 26, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Labour Centre Meeting Hall (downstairs), 10425 Princess Elizabeth Avenue. For more information...

June 18, 2010 - deadline for registrations for 2010 AFL Kids' Camp Camp dates are August 9 - 13, 2010

Camper Registration Form and Union Donations and Volunteer Form

Did you know ...

 

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• Alberta has more workplace fatalities than the national average, at 5.9 per 100,000 workers compared with 4.2 nationally
• The number of Albertans working in the four most dangerous industries has almost doubled since 1991, growing to 620,000 workers from 341,000
• Alberta employs fewer health and safety inspectors than the national average: 1.4 inspectors per 10,000 workers compared with the national figure of 2.1
• Alberta spends less per worker on occupational health and safety today (when 22 per cent of Albertans work in the top four dangerous industries) than the Getty government did in 1991 (when only 15 per cent of Albertans worked in the four most dangerous industries)

For more details ...

Lives of workers put at risk by government

• The government's shocking failure to enforce its own workplace safety laws is putting thousands of workers at risk, according to a new report from the Auditor General. Not only have companies that have violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act been allowed to continue without penalty, some have been awarded Certificates of Recognition that earn them WCB discounts and help them win contracts. The AFL has long fought for stronger health and safety standards and enforcement. It now calls on the government to quickly implement all recommendations made by the Auditor General, including the naming of those companies that are repeat offenders. Workers have a right to know whether their workplace is safe or not. Go to Call to Action - Report of the Alberta Auditor General for details or to the AFL release.

It's time to stop the exploitation of vulnerable temporary foreign workers

• The vast majority of temporary foreign workers in Alberta have been charged sometimes illegal fees ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 by "employment agencies," but the government of Alberta has failed to prosecute these agencies, says AFL's Temporary Foreign Worker Advocate. The government is now seeking feedback on changing legislation governing these agencies. We have until April 30 to tell them that we don't support exploitation. For more details ...

Alberta abandons leadership role in tackling crisis on pensions

• Finance Minister Ted Morton has played down the seriousness of the pensions crisis facing Canadians, reversing the position taken earlier by the Alberta government. Rather than pushing for a much-needed boost to the pensions system, Morton claims there is no crisis and no need for urgent action. "It looks like the government's commitment to push for meaningful changes is starting to evaporate," says Gil McGowan, president of the AFL.  For more information ...

Alberta continues to shed jobs while other provinces recover

• The latest figures from Statistics Canada reveal that unemployment in Alberta has risen to 7.5 per cent, its highest level since 1996 - and it's the only province that continues to lose jobs. There are 87,200 fewer Albertans working in full-time jobs today than there were at the top of the pre-recession boom in October 2008. While other provinces have embarked on stimulus programs to boost their economy, the Alberta government has chosen to stand idly by and watch jobs disappear. For details ...

Urgent Action

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Phone now to save union jobs

• The Yellow Pages Group has decided it will no longer print and distribute White Pages phone books. This may mean the loss of 42 jobs of members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union at World Color in Edmonton, where the directories are printed. It's also bad news for seniors who may not have access to online directories. But there is a chance to reverse the decision and save jobs. If you want White Pages delivered to homes and offices, call 1-877-909-9356. For more details ...

Events

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2010 AFL Kids' Camp
August 9 - 13, 2010

16th Annual AFL Kids' Camp, August 9 to 13, 2010. The theme for this year's camp is "Health and Safety: Not Just for Adults." The camp is open to children of all AFL affiliates.

Camper Registration Form and Union Donations and Volunteer Form
Deadline for registration is June 18, 2010.

Did you know ...

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• That there were 166 occupational fatalities in Alberta in 2008, compared to 154 the previous year;
• That 63 companies have failed to comply with Occupational Health and Safety orders after one year or more;
• That 31,000 employees work for those companies;
• That half of those companies that consistently fail to comply with OHS orders still hold valid Certificates of Recognition; andThat not one of those companies has been named by the Alberta government.

Alberta Auditor General Report, April 2010 - occupational health and safety

Despite all the spin, the recent budget is a cutting budget

• While the Stelmach government boosted health-care spending and held the line on education spending, in other ministries it was cut, cut, cut - a total of $1.3 billion in cuts in 14 ministries. Cuts include: Advanced Education and Technology by six per cent, or $205 million, which will lead to low-income students having to take on more loans, and to increased tuition fees; Children and Youth Services has by 3.1 per cent or $36 million, meaning less money for child care and for children in need; Housing and Urban Affairs by 18.6 per cent or $112 million, mainly in grants for affordable housing. For AFL analysis ...

Alberta women are falling behind

• A new study by the Edmonton-based Parkland Institute and the Womanspace Resource Centre in Lethbridge shows that the battle for rights and equality continues in this province (see AFL news release). The median income for Alberta women working full year, full time is 66 per cent of that earned by men. The gender wage gap is worse in Alberta than in all other provinces. The boom years have made things worse, not better, for Alberta's women. In 1993 women working full time earned 71 per cent of what men earned. For fact sheet ...

Getting our act together - at the AFL Membership Forum in April

• The end of the recession may be in sight - but storm clouds are still gathering on the horizon for workers and unions. Here in Alberta, we're facing the prospect of yet another round of deep cuts and privatization in the public sector. At this year's AFL Membership Forum we will address discuss how we can "Get Our Act Together" to more effectively protect the interests of working people in an increasingly hostile economic and political environment.

CLC backs boycott of furniture maker

• The Canadian Labour Congress has endorsed a national consumer boycott against Sklar Peppler, Alan White branded furniture, and its manufacturer, AW Manufacturing (http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/Officers-EAs/USW-request-EN-only.pdf). The boycott is in support of the United Steelworkers, which saw 100 members lose their jobs and severance pay when Sklar Peppler declared bankruptcy in 2008. The president of Sklar Peppler bought the assets out of bankruptcy, bought AW Manufacturing Inc. in Mississippi and now uses product from that plant to sell to Sklar's customers.

Urgent Action

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Join the fight for jobs, justice and equality at the Legislature, Saturday, March 20th
The fight to protect Alberta's public services is far from over. Last month's budget included spending cuts of $1.3 billion in 14 ministries. These cuts will damage the fabric of communities throughout the province and the Join Together Alberta coalition is keeping the pressure on government to save our services and will stage a march to the legislature on Saturday, March 20, 2010.

Events

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Join Together Rally

• March 20, 2010, 12:30 p.m.
• March from Shaw Conference Centre/MacEwan University/105 Street and Jasper Avenue
• Marches meet up at the Legislature at 1:00 p.m. for rally

Membership Forum 2010

• April 23 and 24, 2010
• SAIT Polytechnic, Calgary
• Deadline for registration is April 16, 2010
• Deadline for hotel registration is April 2, 2010

Did you know ...

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According to research by the Parkland Institute, Alberta spends less than 12 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on services, while the average among other provinces is 22.5 per cent. On the revenue side, if Alberta reverted to a progressive income tax (like all other provinces) instead of the flat tax, it would generate $5.5 billion in annual revenue, erasing the deficit at a stroke and provide funding for health, education and other vital services! For more details ...

Join Together Alberta - a coalition campaign to save Alberta's public services.

• The Join Together Alberta campaign was conceived and launched jointly by a number of Alberta unions and union groups in cooperation with various community and advocacy groups. All of the participating organizations share deep concerns about the impacts that deep cuts to public services will have on individuals, families and communities within Alberta. They also share a belief that best way forward for Alberta is to embrace a high-road approach to our future - one that focuses on smart investments in people, communities and the economy - as opposed to a low-road approach -one that focuses on cutting spending and leaving individuals, families and communities to increasingly fend for themselves. For more information -  http://www.jointogetheralberta.ca

Old Dutch Lockout Ends Following Landmark Labour Board Ruling

• In a landmark ruling, the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) has determined that Alberta labour legislation interferes with the constitutional rights of workers and has suspended the months-long lockout of UFCW Canada Local 401 members by Old Dutch Foods.  Click here for the full text of the decision.

Year-end labour force numbers show Albertans are still hurting even as province starts to emerge from recession

• Year-end employment figures released by Statistics Canada paint a picture of an Alberta labour force that is still hurting even as the provincial economy begins to show signs of emerging from the recession. "The recovery seems to be coming, but Albertans are still hurting and the provincial labour market is still very fragile," says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.  For more information ...

Next Up Alberta - Youth Leadership Program 2010

• Next Up was created by a group of young people between 18 and 32 years old who wanted to help emerging leaders develop new and better skills, smarts and ideas. The program is intense. Over five months, we'll dive into a number of topics and disciplines, combining theory, practice, deep thinking, and hard skills. We'll look at some of the most pressing Canadian foreign and domestic policy issues, and where "progressive" thinking is at on how to solve them. We'll look at how change is made in society. And we'll meet some of the most innovative change-makers in Alberta - from the non-profit, business and public sectors - who are working for a better world. For more details ...

Urgent Action

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Join Together Alberta

• Register for one of the 22 town halls nearest you!

• Albertans from communities are coming together over the next several weeks to send Premier Stelmach the message that our public services are the fabric that keeps our local communities together.

• Click here to find the complete schedule of town hall meetings and to register (http://www.jointogetheralberta.org/events) and then sent the link along to your coworkers, friends and family.

• Click here to sign the petition (http://www.jointogetheralberta.org/content/sign-petition) to save our public services.

• Go here to write a letter to Premier Stelmach and your MLA (http://www.jointogetheralberta.org/write-letter).

• Join our Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2373072738&gid=247817444550#/group.php?gid=247817444550) or follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/JoinTogetherAB).

Events

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Re-making Alberta: Recession alternatives for an Alberta that works

February 12th and 13th, 2010
Lister Conference Centre, 86 Avenue and 116 Street
University of Alberta, Edmonton
Registration fee: $50

Alberta is taking the low road in this recession with budget cuts and public service cuts. The AFL and the Parkland Institute are presenting this conference that will explore questions such as: Is there a high road out of this recession? What can we learn from other countries and provinces? What will the impacts of the cuts be? What does the high road look like for Alberta? For the brochure ...

Did you know...

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That if Alberta replaced its regressive flat tax (10% across the board) with the progressive taxation system that was in place before 2001, that the province would have taken in $5.5 billion more in 2006 alone.

The provincial government's most recent deficit projections are for a $4.3-billion deficit this year leading the Premier to warn that severe cuts are once again on their way.

Wrong Way! Stelmach vows to proceed with attacks on health care ...

• In his recent televised address to the province, Premier Ed Stelmach vowed to press on with plans for major changes in health care - but he declined to explain what those changes would involve. The AFL believes the government's "reform agenda" essentially boils down to privatization, lay-offs for health care workers and more downloading of costs onto patients and their families. That's why we're supporting the Friends of Medicare's "Wrong Way" campaign aimed at stopping yet another Conservative push to privatize our public health care system. Learn how you can help keep Medicare public!

EI fails working people - especially in Alberta

• As the global recession drags on, more and more Canadians have joined the ranks of the unemployed. Unfortunately, the federal government's Employment Insurance (EI) program is failing to provide a safety net for many of those who have lost their jobs. In fact, a study released last month by the AFL shows that less than 40 per cent of unemployed workers in Alberta are eligible to receive EI benefits. Albertans have to work longer to receive fewer benefits than any other workers in the country - and the majority of Alberta's unemployed receive no EI benefits at all. For the publication ...

Alberta leading in the wrong direction on pension reform

• The recession has proven that Canada desperately needs pension reform, but a proposal for a government-sponsored supplemental pension plan being floated by the Alberta and B.C. governments may actually make a bad situation worse. That was the conclusion of an actuarial analysis commissioned by the AFL and conducted by the Vancouver-based pension firm PBI. After crunching the numbers, the consultants found that the so-called ABC plan would, in most cases, generate only a paltry amount of income for pensioners. AFL president Gil McGowan warned that, in addition to being inadequate, the ABC plan would likely distract attention from discussion on more substantial proposals for reform. Read the full text of the analysis ...

Privatization by stealth

• How would you like it if someone sold your property out from under you without even asking your opinion? That's exactly what happened when Edmonton City Council voted behind closed doors to sell large chunks of the power generation assets owned by the citizens of Edmonton through the City's utility company, Epcor. Now a majority on City Council has voted to bar the public from all future privatization decisions related to Epcor. Frustrated Edmontonians are encouraged to get involved with the new citizen's group, Our Power, which formed over the summer to demand that the public - as owners - be given the final say on all privatization debates. Our Power's latest effort is to get enough signatures on a petition to force a plebiscite on privatization during the next municipal election. Find out how you can get involved! For more information ...

Urgent Action

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Send Old Dutch a message!
Workers at the Old Dutch potato chip plant in Calgary have now been locked out by their employer for more than 200 days - and winter is fast approaching.

Please remind all your locals, members, friends and family to stop buying Old Dutch products until the company agrees to the very basic contract provisions that the workers are asking for.

Also, please head down to the picket line and let the workers know that the rest of the labour movement is still behind them! The picket line is located at 3103 - 54 Avenue SE, Calgary.

Events

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Parkland Institute's 13th Annual Fall Conference
Crisis and Opportunity: It's Time for a Progressive Economy

November 20 - 21, 2009
University of Alberta, Edmonton

Last year Alberta was in a boom and then the world economy collapsed.
What happened?
What do we do now?
Information is shock resistance.

This conference is about providing the information and the ideas that can be used to promote a better future for the common good.
http://parkland.arts.ualberta.ca/

Did you know ...

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Over the past ten months, unemployment in Alberta has more than doubled. No other province has seen a faster spike in joblessness.

Unemployed Albertans:

October 2008 - 78,300
August 2009 - 158,000

Unemployment by region (Sept 2009 vs. Sept 2008):

Edmonton Region: 7.7% vs. 3.7%
Calgary Region: 7% vs. 3.8%
Red Deer Region: 8% vs. 4.6%
Lethbridge-Medicine Hat: 7% vs. 3%
Grande Prairie Region: 9.1% vs. 5.1%

Entrenching Exploitation: Canada's Shameful Record on TFWs

• In its latest report on the working and living conditions of Temporary Foreign Workers, the AFL's Foreign Worker Advocate reports that things are getting worse, not better. Called "Entrenching Exploitation" the report recounts how, without public debate, the Canadian and Alberta governments are quietly creating a European-style guest worker program, which threatens to create a permanent exploited underclass of foreign workers who work in Canada for years without receiving the rights that come with citizenship. Read Entrenching Exploitation...

LEM: The Recession Edition

• What do a "dead cat bounce" and sheep on drugs have in common? Both are part of the insightful economic analysis to be found in the Spring 2009 issue of "Labour Economic Monitor." The latest issue looks at the recent Alberta budget and the effects of the recession on wages and earnings. All explained with entertaining prose and colourful graphs. Check out the latest economic data ...

New Safety Rules Coming

• On July 1, an extensive series of amendments to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code come into force. The changes will likely affect every workplace in one way or another. Some of the major changes include: revamping fall protection standards, updating chemical hazard exposure limits, tougher working alone rules, and new section related to health care workers. To help workers become acquainted with the new provisions, the AFL has produced a document summarizing the changes.  Find out about the OHS Code Amendments ...

Solidarity in Hard Times

• The latest issue of Union Magazine is out and it takes a good look at the challenges to maintaining solidarity in this era of globalization and aggressive union tactics. It explores new forms of solidarity and examines ways workers can stick together in tough times. And remember, if you want Union sent directly to your mailbox or email inbox, be sure to sign up for a free subscription. Read the latest issue of Union ...

Urgent Action

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Keep Jobs in Canada Petition

• The Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) has launched a cross-Canada campaign to raise awareness about the growing problem of unemployment in Canada and to demand governments do something to keep jobs in Canada. They are touring a National Unemployment Clock across Canada, which will be in Alberta May 24-26. They have also set up an online petition where Canadians can add their voices to the growing numbers demanding action to save Canadian jobs. Do your part to save Canadian jobs ...

Events

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Public Interest Alberta's 5th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, June 5, 2009

Grand Ballroom
Chateau Louis Conference Centre
11727 Kingsway, Edmonton

This evening will give us an opportunity to come together to socialize and reflect on the important work we have undertaken over the past five years. We will also be presenting our annual Public Interest Award to this year's recipients.

Tickets - Individual $65.00 / Table of 8 - $500.00

6:00 pm - Cocktails
7:00 pm - Dinner
8:00 pm - Celebration & Entertainment

http://www.pialberta.org/events

Did you know ...

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Top Six Source Countries for temporary foreign workers in Alberta (2007):

1. Philippines
2. United States
3. United Kingdom
4. Mexico
5. Australia
6. India

Say No to Old Dutch Chips

• Rather than bargain fairly, Old Dutch Chips on March 30 locked out 170 workers at its Calgary plant. The workers are simply looking for provisions that most workers take for granted: sick pay, minimum hour guarantees, stronger food safety standards and a requirement that all workers pay union dues. The workers, members of UFCW 401, are asking Albertans to not purchase Old Dutch products until the company agrees to a fair deal. Old Dutch chips include the generic brands made for Safeway and Superstore. Take a bite out of Old Dutch profits ...

How To Keep Energy Jobs in Alberta

• Alberta's boom has started to bust with the global economic recession, and thanks to the Alberta government's insistence on a "hands off" policy in the oil sands, thousands of future jobs in upgrading and refining will be located in the U.S. instead of Alberta. The AFL has released a new report, "Lost Down the Pipeline," examining the problem and offering solutions on how we can retain these high quality jobs in Alberta when the downturn ends. Read Lost Down the Pipeline ...

Getting Some Green...Jobs That Is

• The old claim that we have to choose between jobs and the environment is a myth. It is possible to take action to protect the environment AND create good jobs at the same time. To prove it, the AFL has partnered with the Sierra Club and Greenpeace to craft a groundbreaking report on the potential for green jobs in Alberta. Called "Green Jobs: It's time to Build Alberta's Future," it defines a "green job" and looks at concrete ways we can put Albertans to work improving the environment and strengthening our economy at the same time. Read the Green Jobs Report ...

See It On YouTube

• You read our reports. You surf our website. You check out Labourbytes. Now you can see the video version of AFL activities. The AFL has begun producing short videos of our report releases and other events and posting them on YouTube, just like all the cool kids do. Also, for ease of reference, we are linking them to a single page in our website. So, next time you are looking for the AFL's position on an issue, try checking out our YouTube video. http://www.afl.org/pressroom/youtube.cfm?pageId=434&action=preview

AFL Officers Re-elected

• At the AFL Biennial Convention at the end of April, both AFL President Gil McGowan and Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Furlong were re-elected . The Convention also selected a new Executive Council to guide AFL activities for the next two years.

Urgent Action

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Stand Up for Public Healthcare!
Friends of Medicare Rally

Saturday May 9, 2009 @ 1:30pm
Alberta Legislature, Edmonton

We are standing up to tell our Health Minister that we do not agree with the attack on seniors, the threats to our services, closures of hospitals, along with the rest of the dismantling that has been occurring.

Let's give the Health Minister a strong message that we want positive improvement to our public Healthcare system!

We are organizing buses and car pools from around the province!
If you are wanting to get on one of these buses, call the Friends of Medicare: (780)423-4581. Stand up for Medicare ...

Public Interest Alberta's 5th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, June 5, 2009

Grand Ballroom
Chateau Louis Conference Centre
11727 Kingsway, Edmonton

This evening will give us an opportunity to come together to socialize and reflect on the important work we have undertaken over the past five years. We will also be presenting our annual Public Interest Award to this year's recipients.

Tickets - Individual $65.00 / Table of 8 - $500.00

6:00 pm - Cocktails
7:00 pm - Dinner
8:00 pm - Celebration & Entertainment

http://www.pialberta.org/events

Did you know ...

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Green Job Creation in Alberta

Short Term: 53,000 to 65,000
Medium Term: 85,000 to 140,000

Possible Green Jobs:

• Retrofitting buildings
• Building and operating public transit
• Manufacturing Green Products
• Building High Speed Rail
• Creating Green Energy Infrastructure

Rights for Farm Workers!

• The AFL is joining with UFCW Canada in a campaign to include farm workers in Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act. The campaign is a result of a recent fatality inquiry into the death of Kevan Chandler on a farm near Black Diamand. The Judge recommended that one of the best ways to prevent future fatalities is to include farm workers in OH&S legislation. Farming has changed. It's time the laws changed with it! Find out what you can do to help farm workers ...

Beyond Bailouts

• The economy has hit the skids, but now is not the time for a return to the days of cutbacks, privatization and royalty rollbacks. There is another way to tackle the economic downturn. Public Interest Alberta's 3rd Annual Advocacy Conference is looking at how we can broaden the scope of public solutions to keep Alberta working, and make us greener at the same time. "Beyond Band-Aids and Bailouts: Public Solutions in Critical Times" runs April 3 - 5 in Edmonton. Speakers include Judy Rebick, Elaine Bernard and Dr. Robert Woollard. Register for the Conference ...

154 Reasons

• In 2007, 154 workers were killed at work. Last year another 166 lost their lives because of their jobs. There is no better reason than that for changing Alberta's safety laws. The AFL's Health and Safety Committee has launched a postcard campaign aimed at making Joint H&S Committees mandatory in all workplaces. Alberta is the only province to have voluntary joint committees. And it is proven that joint committees save lives. Join the campaign! Bundles of the postcards are available at the AFL office. Call (780-483-3021) to request some and get your members and neighbours to sign them. See a sample of the postcard ...

Spirit of Labour

• Sometimes to get our inspiration, we need to look at our past. The miners of the Crowsnest Pass can teach us much about courage, solidarity and organizing for victory. The story of the working families of the Crownest Pass has been captured in a moving booklet recently released by Project 2012, the celebration of the AFL's Centennial being organized by the AFL and the Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI). This is the first of a series of five booklets popularizing key moments in Alberta's labour history, to be released each year leading up to 2012. Read "Spirit of the Crowsnest" ...

Urgent Action

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Save the Wheat Board!!

• Since their election, the Harper Conservatives have had an aggressive agenda to undermine and break up the Canada Wheat Board. At every available opportunity they have attacked the single-desk monopoly of the Board and promoted the rump group of farmers who want to sell their grain on the open market. The Conservatives have run fraudulent votes and even contravened government law (according to the courts) in their effort to chip away at one of the most effective mechanisms for farmers. The Board has been proven time and time again to return high prices to farmers for their grain - higher than they could get on their own.

• The National Farmers Union and supporters of the Wheat Board are locked in a battle for the very existence of the Wheat Board. And they need your help! Whether you live in a rural community or in a big city, you need to add your voice to those trying to save the Wheat Board. Take action now!

Events

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Economics for Everyone

Join Jim Stanford, Chief Economist for the CAW, to talk about the state of the economy and what it means for workers. Stanford will be discussing his latest book "Economics for Everyone" and looking at the state of the economy from a worker perspective.

Co-sponsored by Parkland Institute

Calgary
Wednesday April 22
7:00
Arusha Centre

Edmonton
Thursday April 23
7:00
Chateau Lacombe Crowne Plaza

For more information ...

Did you know ...

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Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta

2004 13,236
2005 15,834
2006 22,114
2007 37,293
2008 57,843

Permanent Immigrants Arriving in Alberta

2004 16,475
2005 19,404
2006 20,716
2007 20,861
2008 24,185