Employment minister under pressure to change farm-safety laws: There are growing calls to extend legislation to cover farm workers, says AFL

Edmonton – As the death toll continues on Alberta farms, the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) today called on Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk to do the right thing and extend […]

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AFL demands wider probe into Horizon coker explosion: Public must not be kept in the dark for years waiting to find out what caused the blast

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is demanding a wide-ranging and public investigation into the explosion and fire that injured five workers at the Canadian Natural Horizon upgrader in Fort […]

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CPP Reform Delayed likely to be CPP Reform Denied – McGowan: Decision to ice CPP expansion in favour of “further study” bodes ill for Canadians’ retirement security

Kananaskis – Alberta Federation of Labour Gil McGowan says the federal-provincial finance ministers’ decision to put CPP expansion on ice misses an historic opportunity for retirement security for millions of […]

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Harper/Flaherty Pension Scheme a Holiday Gift to the Banks; a Lump of Coal for Canadians:Taking CPP expansion off the table would be a betrayal of what Canadians need and want

Edmonton – Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has betrayed generations of Canadians by suggesting that expansion of the Canada Pension Plan should be taken off the table at the meeting […]

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Report on Temporary Foreign Workers finds Alberta’s problems remain unsolved: AFL consultations find continued inaction on unscrupulous recruiters and employers

Edmonton – The Alberta Federation of Labour released a report on the results of a consultation workshop on Temporary Foreign Workers today. For full report…. The report details the proceedings […]

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Government Audit Reveals Shocking Number of Safety Violations on Alberta Construction Sites: Commercial construction sector clearly under-regulated; workers at continuous risk of injury o…

Edmonton – Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan reacted to a special government health and safety audit of commercial construction sites today, calling the results a “shocking wake-up call,” […]

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An open letter to Canada’s finance ministers: “Ted Morton does not speak for Albertans on CPP expansion!” Alberta Federation of Labour President urges fellow Canadians to move forward…

Edmonton – Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan released an open letter to Canada’s provincial and federal finance ministers today, urging them to move ahead with reform to the […]

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Alberta’s earnings gap between women and men largest in Canada: Women participating in the workforce at higher rates than ever; inequality persists

Edmonton – As women’s workforce participation in Alberta has increased, so too has earnings inequality, according to the Alberta Federation of Labour. While today’s Statistics Canada report on Women and […]

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Action on violence against women must include the workplace – AFL: Toolkit for workers and employers provides extensive support for better violence education

Edmonton – The Alberta Federation of Labour marked December 6th with a call for employers, supervisors, workers, professional associations and unions to take joint action on domestic violence and its […]

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Death of farm workers shows absurdity of Alberta safety laws:Agricultural workers deserve the same protection as others, says AFL

Edmonton – The death of two Edmonton area farm workers is proof that Alberta’s workplace safety laws need to be extended to include agricultural workers, says the Alberta Federation of […]

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Government’s ‘completely inadequate’ plan on farm safety will leave workers at risk: Conservatives have clearly caved in to pressure from industry, says AFL

Edmonton – The Alberta government announcement that it is forming an advisory council on farm safety is a stab in the back for all farm workers, says the Alberta Federation […]

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AFL raises red flag about more cuts to health, education and other necessary services

Morton’s fiscal update shows government gearing up for severe cuts despite what Albertans want Edmonton – Today’s fiscal update shows the government of Alberta is laying the groundwork for a […]

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Hey Ted, Albertans want REAL pension reform: Labour groups urge Alberta Tories to stop standing in the way of CPP expansion

Edmonton – A campaign for REAL pension reform was launched in Alberta today to persuade the provincial government to change its mind and join the growing consensus around expanding the […]

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New union campaign says Alberta can – and must – do better on workplace safety: AFL unveils 10-point plan to stop return to boom-style carnage

Edmonton – The Alberta Federation of Labour today releases a 10-point plan for immediate action (click here for full text of plan) to improve workplace safety in the province. “The […]

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Three more workers die as government fails to act on safety: Without real change, death and injury rates will rise as economy picks up

News that three Alberta workers have died in workplace accidents in three days is proof that the government must take concrete action now to save lives, says the Alberta Federation […]

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Friends of Medicare launches campaign to drop health law changes: Legal opinion commissioned by AFL says proposed changes are undemocratic

Edmonton – Friends of Medicare (FoM) today launches a new campaign to persuade Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky to abandon proposed changes to provincial health laws. “It’s time to move on […]

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Safety records fail to tell the whole story for working Albertans: New website presents a bewildering array of stats, but little useful information: AFL

Edmonton – Alberta’s new website offering workplace injury and fatality records may be well intentioned, but gets a failing grade from the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL). “This morning, we […]

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Alberta Environment’s Monitoring Budgets Plummet − Public Relations Spending Skyrockets

AFL analysis shows Alberta government’s real priorities − calls for public investment in environmental monitoring and enforcement Edmonton – The Alberta government decimated program spending on environmental enforcement, compliance, and […]

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Alberta’s employment outlook bleak once again: Alberta’s “real” unemployment rate, counting discouraged workers and involuntary part-timers, much higher than “official” rate

Edmonton – As Alberta’s official unemployment rate edges up to 6.5%, the Alberta Federation of Labour released figures showing Alberta’s “real” unemployment rate – including discouraged workers and involuntary part-timers […]

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Alberta workers still fighting for rights: Province lags behind on workplace safety, farm worker rights and temporary foreign workers

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 […]

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Temporary Foreign Worker program should be scrapped, not reformed: Program is failing foreign workers, Alberta workers and Alberta employers, says AFL

The Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program is so dysfunctional that it needs to be scrapped, rather than reviewed and reformed, says the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL). “We welcome the […]

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Workplace safety website falls short of pledge; Full safety records to remain clouded in secrecy

EDMONTON – While the government has taken nearly a decade to finalize its website with workplace injury and fatality records, workers will have to wait even longer to get the […]

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Reforming broken revenue system vital to Alberta’s fiscal future

Edmonton – The economic evidence is in and it shows overwhelmingly that Alberta’s economy is still on shaky ground. “Unstable commodity prices, a continuing jobs crisis, falling retail sales, increasing […]

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Alberta has a dismal record on workplace safety prosecutions and convictions: AFL research reveals province has a conviction rate of only 2.8 per cent on workplace fatalities

Edmonton – The Alberta government is failing to protect workers with its lax attitude toward prosecuting employers involved in workplace fatalities and injuries, according to research by the Alberta Federation […]

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