Alberta employment figures fall further and faster than other provinces

When it comes to employment, new figures from Statistics Canada show that Alberta has fallen further and faster over the past six months than any other province. Between October 2008 […]

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Provincial budget must emphasize jobs, not cuts, labour leaders say

EDMONTON – Next week’s provincial budget needs to emphasize getting unemployed workers back to work and keeping those who have jobs at work, say the leaders of some of Alberta’s […]

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Albertans Thirst for Renewable and Clean Energy

Edmonton- A recent poll showing that Albertans overwhelmingly prefer subsidies for renewable and clean energy sends a message to the Stelmach government that its upcoming budget should include plans to […]

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New report suggests oil-sands jobs won’t return even if Alberta economy improves

U.S. pipeline and refinery expansions mean that Alberta’s dream of “moving up the value ladder” is on its deathbed EDMONTON – Without aggressive government intervention, Alberta will almost certainly miss […]

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How bad is the oil-sands jobs collapse and what should we do about it?

The Alberta Federation of Labour will release a report tomorrow dealing with the employment implications of the recent collapse in oil-sands investment. The report includes a number of troubling new […]

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Cutting Public-Sector Wages Will Deepen Recession

The Alberta Federation of Labour today urged Premier Stelmach to learn the lessons of the past and abandon any efforts he might be considering to re-open public-sector contracts to reduce […]

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Alberta No Longer Immune from Recession

With today’s release of the February labour force statistics, it has become clear that Alberta is no longer immune from the recession that is hitting across the world, says the […]

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Report shows Tories have waved the white flag of surrender in battle to keep Alberta oil sands jobs from being shipped down the pipeline

When it comes to Premier Stelmach’s oft-repeated promise to keep oil sands jobs in Alberta instead of shipping them down the pipeline to the U.S., his government’s new oil sands […]

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End the Harvest of Death: Farmworkers deserve safety protection

On June 18, 2006, Kevan Chandler went to work, as usual, as a farm worker at the local feed mill. He never made it home again that day. While cleaning […]

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Federal budget fails to end EI discrimination against Albertans: only 1 in 5 eligible for benefits

EDMONTON – Stephen Harper may represent an Alberta riding, but he certainly wasn’t thinking of the growing number of unemployed people in his home province when he and his cabinet […]

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New Safety Ads A Missed Opportunity

The Alberta government released a set of web-only safety ads today aimed at young workers. The ads are graphic and gory and attempt to highlight dangers common in youth workplaces. […]

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Maple Leaf strike in Edmonton exposes buried election issue

EDMONTON – Today’s news that Maple Leaf Foods is abusing temporary foreign workers at its poultry plant in Edmonton and attempting to use them as pawns to drive wages down […]

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Federal measure will cast Alberta workers into permanent underclass

EDMONTON – The Alberta Federation of Labour today strongly criticized the federal government’s proposed new measures to fast-track citizenship for only certain classes of temporary foreign workers in Canada. “By […]

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Use of “disposable” foreign workers continues to spiral out of control in Alberta

EDMONTON–The number of workers being brought into Alberta under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program continues to spiral upward, according to figures quietly posted on the federal government’s Citizenship and […]

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City of Calgary taking asbestos scare far too lightly

The Alberta Federation of Labour today accused the City of Calgary of treating the discovery of asbestos-contaminated asphalt throughout its road system far too casually. “Asbestos is one of the […]

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Labour leaders challenge Premiers on need for new rules on labour mobility

QUEBEC CITY – The leaders of all of Canada’s provincial and territorial labour union federations will hold a news conference in Quebec City tomorrow morning, challenging the provincial premiers to […]

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Chinese Workers Scam an Example of How NOT to do Temporary Workers

The case of Chinese temporary foreign workers having their paycheques siphoned is a perfect example of how the TFW program is out of control, says the Alberta Federation of Labour. […]

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Rona Workplace Fatality Demonstrates Need for Tougher Forklift Rules

The AFL noted today the death of a 16-year old Rona hardware worker and suggests it could have been avoided with tougher legislation. “Workplace fatalities are always a horrible tragedy, […]

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The Reason for the Labour Code Amendments: Rewarding Your Friends

A day after the government tabled its anti-worker Bill 26: The Labour Relations Amendment Act, Albertans are wondering what would motivate such a blatant attack on constitutionally-protected rights. The answer, […]

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Proposed Labour Code Changes an Attack on Alberta Workers

NOTE: AFL President Gil McGowan will be holding a media availability at 5:15 p.m. on the steps of the Legislature to comment on the Bill. The Alberta Federation of Labour […]

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Day of Mourning: Remembering Unintended Victims of a Boom

The AFL is commemorating the 13th International Day of Mourning today by remembering the 166 Albertans (154 officially “recognized” workers and 12 farm workers) who lost their lives in 2007 […]

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Remembering Workers Killed at Work

Monday, April 28, 20087:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.City Room, Edmonton City Hall1 Sir Winston Churchill Square The Alberta Federation of Labour and the Edmonton and District Labour Council are co-sponsoring […]

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House of Commons committee will get an ear full from labour advocates when MPs visit Edmonton tomorrow to learn about problems with temporary foreign worker program

EDMONTON – Several union spokespeople with extensive experience on issues related to the controversial Temporary Foreign Worker program will make presentations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship […]

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Albertans must guard against racism

The increasing ethnic and racial diversity of the province requires extra vigilance by Albertans against racism and intolerance, says the Alberta Federation of Labour today. “Thousands of new immigrants and […]

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