Workers who have helped build this province now under attack, says AFL

A century of contributions by working Albertans will be honoured by the Mayor of Edmonton in a special ceremony on Monday, June 11.

Mayor Stephen Mandel will proclaim the week of June 11-17 to be “Alberta Federation of Labour Centennial Celebration Week” in Edmonton.

“The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is delighted that the City of Edmonton has agreed to honour the contribution of workers by making this proclamation,” says Gil McGowan, president of the federation, which represents 145,000 workers.

“The AFL was created in 1912 by workers and farmers who saw the need for an organization that would protect their common interests and make their communities stronger. It’s important, 100 years later, to remember the role unions played in building this province – and that Alberta was at the forefront of the national struggle for workers’ rights,” he says.

“That struggle continues as we see moves to drive down wages under the federal government’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, to restrict Employment Insurance (EI) payments to laid-off workers and to keep people in the workplace until the age of 67 under proposed changes to Old Age Security (OAS) rules.”

The proclamation is one of many events being held around the province this year to celebrate the AFL centennial.

The highlight will be a full day of activities at Fort Edmonton Park on Saturday, June 16, which is expected to draw a crowd of thousands.

TIME: 1:30 p.m., Monday, June 11.

LOCATION: Foyer of Edmonton City Hall. The proclamation will be made in front of a labour-history display celebrating the contributions workers have made to life in Alberta.

ATTENDING: Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, AFL president Gil McGowan and union members.

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For more information:

Media Contact: Gil McGowan, President @ 780-218-9888 (cell) or 780-483-3021 (office)