2005 September Submission Alberta Employment Standards Review

2005 October Submission Federal Labour Code Part III Review

Say 'No' to private health care!

• At 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 10, those who value public health care can join a rally organized by Friends of Medicare at the facility operated by the Health Resource Centre (HRC) at #1, 1402 8th Ave. N.W., Calgary. In case you missed it in the news, HRC is the private health care provider that has filed for bankruptcy and required a bailout of millions of dollars from taxpayers. For more information on the rally ... and for the FOM blog, click here ...

Reforming broken revenue system vital to Alberta's future

• The global economic news is gloomy and it's clear that Alberta's recovery from the recession is still on shaky ground. The problems have been compounded by a broken revenue system that is dependent on volatile resource revenues. It's time for a grown-up conversation on how to fix our revenue system. For more information ...

McKesson Canada strike in Edmonton is over

• After 66 days on the picket line, members of UFCW 401 at McKesson Canada in Edmonton are going back to work, after voting to accept a memorandum recommended by the union that included significant pay raises and improvements in vision and dental care. For more information ...

Canada Malting workers on strike in Calgary

• Members of UFCW 1118 who work at Canada Malting began a strike on August 24, after voting 80% to reject the company's final offer. Please join them on the picket line. For more information ...

Urgent Action

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Labour movement urged to help Pakistan flood victims

• The Canadian Labour Congress, in co-operation with the Canadian Red Cross, is working to provide an easy way for union members to make a donation to help flood victims in Pakistan and instantly receive a tax receipt. The federal government will match individual donations until Sept. 12. From now until Sept. 30, 2010, you can make a secure donation by clicking here ...

Events

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• September 5, 2010 - Calgary Pride Parade, 8th Avenue and 8th Street SW, Calgary

• September 6, 2010 - EDLC Annual Labour Day Barbeque, Giovanni Caboto Park, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• September 6, 2010 - CDLC Annual Labour Day Barbeque, Calgary Olympic Plaza, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• September 10/11, 2010 - CDLC Municipal Election Training Workshop. For more details ...

Did you know ...

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The following provisions and protections are in existing health acts the Alberta government wants to replace with the Alberta Health Act:

• the prohibition on the operation of private hospitals;
• the limits to and conditions on the provision of private surgical services;
• Doctors opting in or out (not practising in both the public and private systems);
• prohibited fees; and
• the prohibition of queue jumping.

Labour Day has marked the contribution of the labour movement to Canadian society for almost as long as there has been a Canada.

Thanks to pressure from unions and others, most Canadians now enjoy eight-hour work days and 40-hour work weeks, weekends off, vacations, overtime pay, benefits, pensions and public health care.

The labour movement's role in creating a well-paid middle class is undeniable, as are the benefits it brings to our society. A large chunk of the population earning enough money to fuel the economy and pay taxes is a good thing.

But while we, in the labour movement, are happy to do our bit on taxes, it is disconcerting to note this Labour Day that the Alberta government is giving away billions of tax dollars.

This year the province will allow $2 billion to be wasted that would pay for extra health care and other vital public services. How? It is the consequence of tax cuts for large corporations implemented by the provincial government. Those tax cuts mean U.S. corporations operating in Alberta will pay $2 billion this year in taxes to the U.S. government.

Alberta charges a corporate tax rate of only 10 per cent for large corporations, by far the lowest in Canada. The federal government recently lowered its corporate rate to 15 per cent. Our combined corporate tax rate is 25 per cent, compared to 35 per cent in the United States.

But American companies don't benefit when Canadian rates are cut. U.S. tax rules stipulate that corporations have to pay a total of 35 per cent. Whatever is charged in Canada goes to the Canadian federal and provincial governments, and the difference between the Canadian and U.S. rates goes to the treasury in Washington.

So, Alberta takes its share (10 per cent), Ottawa takes its share (15 per cent), and the U.S. takes 10 per cent, to bring the total to 35 per cent.

Last year, that 10-per-cent difference flowing from U.S. corporations operating in Alberta was $2 billion. Alberta could double its rate and keep that $2 billion here and the bottom lines of those U.S. companies would remain the same.

We could get $2 billion more for public services without paying any more in taxes. We would just stop giving it to our U.S. neighbours.

The $2-billion giveaway is part of a larger pattern of tax madness in Alberta. We have the lowest personal income tax rate for the very wealthy, but among the highest tax rates for the lowest-income workers. Alberta is one of the only provinces to not charge a tax on financial institutions, but our small business rate is higher than many other jurisdictions.

Because some tax rates are far too low, we rely on unsustainable oil and gas royalty revenue to fund our programs. That's why the recent economic downturn has left so many Albertans scratching their heads. In a province blessed with the world's most sought-after natural resources, a highly educated workforce and one of the most sustained economic booms in history, it took only one global blip in the markets and our provincial cupboard was bare.

This instability is due to a tax system that does not work for the long-term health and prosperity of Albertans. We are not saving for the future. We take money from the investment gains of the Heritage Trust Fund and spend it. We have little capacity to weather changes in oil and gas prices. And we have no plan for a post-fossil-fuel economy. Some economists fear a double-dip recession is on the horizon. This makes it vital for the government to fix our broken revenue system now.

We can start to fix the system by acknowledging that while the Americans may be our closest friends, sending them $2 billion they haven't even asked for isn't being a good neighbour, it's being a fool.

And, you know what they say about a fool and his money ...

Edmonton Journal/Calgary Herald
Byline: Gil McGowan

While Albertans enjoy this Labour Day weekend, recent news reports reveal there is still much to be done to protect vulnerable workers in the province.

"The Alberta government has once again missed an opportunity to save lives and prevent injuries to workers with its watered-down website on employer safety records," says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents 140,000 workers.

After nearly a decade of inaction, earlier this year Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk vowed to create a website to post the full safety records of employers, including violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Code. What the minister announced last week fell a long way short of his pledge by allowing code violations to remain clouded in secrecy.

Farm workers are likely to remain at risk in the workplace with reports that the government is set to ignore a provincial judge's recommendations to include them in health, safety and employment standards legislation. After being asked by the Premier to investigate the workplace death of Kevan Chandler, Justice Peter Barley recommended that farm workers must be included in Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to prevent future workplace injuries and deaths.

The government appears to be favouring a safety-education campaign rather than providing the same protection in law offered to workers in other industries. Farm workers also have no access to the Workers' Compensation Board and no right to join a union.

"Alberta remains the only province where farm workers are excluded from occupational health and safety laws, as well as legislation governing hours of work and overtime, statutory holidays, vacation pay, the right to refuse unsafe work, being informed of work-related dangers and compensation if they are injured on the job," says McGowan. "In the nine years the Alberta government has said it is 'consulting' on how to improve safety for agricultural workers, 160 people have died on farm worksites."

Meanwhile, a flawed Temporary Foreign Worker program that doesn't work for foreign workers vulnerable to exploitation, for Alberta workers or employers continues to operate. "This program is so dysfunctional it probably has to be scrapped and replaced with something that works for employers and immigrants, instead of creating a disposable workforce," says McGowan.

McGowan is available for annual Labour Day comments this weekend. He will be attending the Calgary and District Labour Council's Labour Day barbeque for the unemployed and underemployed on Monday, Sept. 6.

Nancy Furlong, AFL Secretary Treasurer, is also available for comments and will be at the Edmonton and District Labour Council barbeque for the unemployed and underemployed on Monday, Sept. 6.

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Media Contact:

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

Nancy Furlong, Secretary Treasurer, Alberta Federation of Labour @ 780-720-8945 (cell)

Welcome to our new website

• The Alberta Federation of Labour has a new website and is now on Facebook and Twitter. We'd really like you check out the site (let us know what you think) and we believe you'll find it worthwhile becoming Fans of our Facebook Page and becoming Followers on Twitter. You can do all that by following the links below.

Visit our new website
Connect on Facebook
Follow AFL on Twitter

Alberta sheds 13,000 full-time jobs in July

• Premier Stelmach recently called on the federal government to end stimulus spending and let the private sector lead us to economic recovery, but the facts show his ideas are irresponsible. Alberta lost 13,000 full-time jobs last month, proving that the recovery is still fragile and that a reduction in government spending could cause a double-dip recession. Read more ...

Workers still at risk, thanks to watered-down government plan

• The Alberta government had a chance to take concrete action to save the lives of working Albertans by using a website to publish the names of employers who violate the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Code - but it appears to have bowed to industry pressure by announcing a watered-down plan. For more information ...

Government set to ignore judge's recommendations on farm workers

• Reports that the Alberta government will not include farm workers in health, safety and employment standards legislation, despite a recommendation to do so by a provincial judge in 2008, could lead to a constitutional challenge. Meanwhile, the government continues to allow unsafe and potentially exploitative working environments to continue. Read more ...

Urgent Action

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Sign up for Next Up!

• Applications are now being accepted for the second year of Next Up Alberta: A Leadership Program for Young People Committed to Social and Environmental Justice. This is an amazing, intensive and transformative program for young social-change activists between the ages of 18 and 32. Read more ...

Events

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• August 22, 2010 - Farm Workers' Day, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m., Turner Valley
• August 29, 2010 - Big Splash Open Golf Tournament, 8:00 a.m., Raven Crest Golf Course
• September 5, 2010 - Calgary Pride Parade, 8th Avenue and 8th Street SW, Calgary
• September 6, 2010 - EDLC Annual Labour Day Barbeque, Giovanni Caboto Park, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• September 6, 2010 - CDLC Annual Labour Day Barbeque, Calgary Olympic Plaza, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• September 10/11, 2010 - CDLC Municipal Election Training Workshop. For more details ...

Did you know ...

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• Between 2006 and 2009, there were 142 fatalities on Alberta worksites, but only four convictions for fatalities that occurred since 2006. That's a 2.8-per-cent conviction rate for worksite fatalities. If we add the 17 charges that are pending, Alberta prosecutes at a rate of 14.8 per cent. What about the 120 other workers who have lost their lives on worksites since 2006?
• All of the 2009-2010 convictions are on guilty pleas, which shows the government's unwillingness to litigate OH&S cases. They appear to only go to court when they have 100-per-cent chance of winning, meaning they aren't willing to put any resources toward making employers accountable.
• The vast majority of 2009-2010 convictions were for incidents that occurred more than four years ago. Victims and their families are waiting a long time for resolution.
• Since 2005, Alberta Justice can't account for eight of the 57 fines levied against employers, according to a Calgary Herald investigation into prosecutions/convictions.

It's hard to know where to begin in pointing out the flaws - or outright misleading propaganda - in Eric Duhaime's July 7 column blaming unions for the G20 "mess."

Unions, he says, are to blame, but he admits in his opening paragraph there was "excessive police repression."

Talk about blaming the victims!

Nothing that was done by labour-movement supporters can excuse "excessive police repression."

Excessive means to go beyond what is required.

The vast majority of protesters were peaceful, law-abiding citizens exercising their democratic rights.

If in doubt about the value of this kind of protest, I suggest a quick Google of Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi.

I'm sure Duhaime would prefer that people who disagree with public policy (or perhaps just disagree with him) stay home and shut up, but, for now, that's not the kind of country in which we live.

He slams unions for expressing their views, but conveniently fails to mention the massive sums corporations pay to lobby governments for policies that protect them, often against the interests of citizens. Nor does he mention the billions of taxpayer dollars given in corporate welfare and subsidies, or lost to corporate tax cuts.

And let's not forget all the corporate donations to political parties.
As for unionization leading to unemployment! Tell that to those Nordic countries with high unionization rates which escaped the recent recession almost unscathed while other nations were thrown into chaos.

On unionization and choice in the U.S. - what he's talking about here is "right-to-work" legislation, which in typical extreme right-wing fashion means the opposite of what it says.

"Right-to-work" laws are designed purely to weaken the labour movement and to restrict the rights of workers to associate.

It should be noted that the 22 "right-to-work" states are the most depressed economically in the U.S. and have the lowest wages.

I guess that's the model Duhaime would like Canada to follow.

It's certainly the dangerous model members of the Wildrose Alliance Party want for Alberta.

On union dues, even the Supreme Court of Canada, in a ruling last year, reiterated that having all employees pay union dues is essential, because those unions perform tasks for all employees and must have the means to carry out their duties.

As for the $1-billion security tab (some have pegged the costs as high as $2 billion), blame Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

No other country has spent this much when hosting summits, even when faced with much more in the way of protests. French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he'll do the next summit for one-tenth the cost.

Let's remember, too, that unions are democratic.

If you don't like what your union leaders are doing, you can vote them out of office.

That's because unions believe in democracy.

It's a claim Duhaime might find difficult to make, with his objection to public debate on important decisions being carried out by government leaders behind closed doors.

Toronto Sun, Thurs July 7 2010
Byline: Gil McGowan, Guest Columnist

Thirteen Albertans died of farm-related injuries last year, including a six-year-old boy who was kicked in the head by a horse and a 76-year-old woman who was crushed by a bull, according to new provincial figures.

The number of deaths is down from the previous year -- when 23 people were killed -- and below the provincial average of 18.

The figures come as industry awaits word on whether the province will rework its workplace safety legislation to include farms. A judge called on the Stelmach government more than a year ago to make the changes after a man died while cleaning out a grain silo at a High River feedlot.

Alberta's labour and agriculture ministers, who are reviewing an industry consultation on the matter, haven't said when they'll decide whether to make the changes, but signs are stacking up against the move.

Last week, Agriculture Minister Jack Hayden directed $715,000 to the province's farm safety programs -- an education-first approach the Alberta government has long championed over legislative change. The minister, who wasn't available for comment, told the legislature last week the government is "concentrating on reducing fatalities and injuries rather than regulating and legislating what takes place there."

Farms have been exempted from the Occupational Health and Safety Act since 1977, and in recent years, labour leaders have renewed the push to rewrite the legislation.
Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said it's frustrating the government has resisted the changes for so long.

"It's become clear the government doesn't plan to make any significant changes to the workplace rules, and that they, in fact, don't recognize this is a serious problem," McGowan said.

Eric Musekamp of the Farmworkers Union of Alberta welcomed the drop in 2009 fatalities, but said he hopes the figures won't be used as a political ploy by the government to avoid crafting new workplace safety laws. "My discomfort is from thinking the government is going to trumpet this as some sort of success," Musekamp said.

"Farm workers suffer mightily from the exclusion. I intend to keep chewing away at it, and I'm hopeful we can impress upon the government they need to do this thing."

The 2009 farm-related fatality figures were compiled by the provincial medical examiner's office for Alberta Agriculture, and haven't yet been finalized.
In 2008, Alberta saw deaths on farms spike to 23, including six children.

Laurel Aitken, a provincial farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture, said 2008 was a "really tragic year," particularly considering the number of children killed, and said Alberta has been working hard to keep farms safe.

"We have a lot of resource development we do. We spend quite a bit of effort on awareness and doing campaigns to bring safety front of mind for people," she said.

Last week, Liberal MLA Bridget Pastoor grilled Hayden and Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk in the legislature over when the government will move on the provincial judge's recommendations.

Lukaszuk said the Stelmach government is committed to farmer safety, but suggested industry will have to "wait and see," whether any action will be taken.

Calgary Herald, Tues Mar 23 2010
Byline: Jamie Komarnicki

TORONTO, ONT--The violation of the workplace rights of many Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in Alberta "reinforces what we've reported for years now," says Wayne Hanley, the National President of UFCW Canada. "Except for locations where those workers have a union, TFWs in Alberta and across Canada are regular targets for
exploitation and workplace abuse."

UFCW Canada is Canada's largest private-sector union, and represents thousands of TFWs under collective agreements. These agreements protect these TFWs against workplace violations, require health and safety information in the workers' language, and provide a legal pathway for these workers to permanent Canadian residency.

"So the story for UFCW Canada members who are Temporary Foreign Workers is positive. But outside the union, TFWs are treated by thousands of employers like disposable commodities, with no respect for their safety or other workplace rights. The latest stats from Alberta back that up."

The UFCW Canada president's remarks come in the wake of newly-released Alberta Ministry of Employment and Immigration inspection statistics that show that of the 407 Alberta TFW workplaces inspected this year, 74% of those employers had violated the Employment Standards Act regarding pay rates and record keeping.

The data was released by the Alberta NDP, which obtained the records under a Freedom of Information application. "We agree with the Alberta NDP and the Alberta Federation of Labour that the federal government's TFW program needs to be revised to fully respect the human and labour rights of these vulnerable workers. That should also include the right to build a permanent life in Canada for these workers and their families.

And that goes across this country - not just Alberta," said Hanley.

"Unless you're unionized, the treatment of Temporary Foreign Workers continues to be a national disgrace," says Naveen Mehta, Director of Human Rights, Equity & Diversity, UFCW Canada.

Mehta is also one of a 25 UFCW Canada delegates from across the country who are attending the 12th Annual Metropolis Conference on Immigration and Diversity being held March 18 - 21 in Montreal. UFCW Canada is presenting and participating as one of the country's leading advocates, in the community and on the front lines, for migrant workers in Canada.

Article Ant, Fri Mar 18 2010

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 ...