Miners founded labour federation, provided crucial role in building Alberta communities

EDMONTON – Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) president Gil McGowan made the following statement on the end of coal-fired power generation in Alberta:

“The end of coal-powered energy in Alberta is significant for the AFL and Alberta workers. It is time to pause and think about the contribution that these workers made to build communities.

“Alberta’s coal mine workers have had a massive influence on Alberta’s union movement. The Alberta Federation of Labour was founded by coal miners from the Crowsnest Pass in 1912. They produced leaders that influenced Alberta’s political and working culture to this day.

“We also remember that they did this work at considerable hardship and peril to themselves. There are graves and memorials all over southern Alberta that show how many workers didn’t make it home at the end of the day from the mines.

“In the last decade, as chair of the Coal Transition Coalition, we worked hard to make sure coal workers weren’t left behind or left on their own to deal with upheaval in their industry. I’m proud that we were able to put together a $40 million transition package for this generation’s coal workers. We successfully topped up Employment Insurance, provided training vouchers, and pension bridging for affected workers.

“Change came for coal’s role in the energy industry, and change won’t stop there. The economics of oil and gas are shifting fast. The Alberta Federation of Labour will continue to fight to make sure there are jobs and support for energy workers in the decades to come.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:
John Ashton
Director of Communications, AFL
E-mail: jashton@afl.org