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Stricter workplace safety regulations could see Alberta employers who experience on-site fatalities or serious injuries lose their government accreditation.

Minister of Employment and Immigration Thomas Lukaszuk announced Thursday the implementation of stricter guidelines for companies to keep their Certificate of Recognition (COR).

"Losing a COR is bad for business," Lukaszuk said. "However, Albertans have the right to work in safe and healthy conditions. We're putting employers on notice: after July 1, we'll be launching reviews as soon after a workplace incident as possible."

The changes, which come into effect on July 1, would see the implementation of an employer review process in instances of fatalities or serious injuries, or when two or more stop work orders are issued within a 12 month period.

During the review period employers will not be eligible for financial incentives afforded by having a COR.

The changes were welcomed by the Alberta Federation of Labour, with the caveat that more work needs to be done.

"The COR program is flawed and ineffective," said AFL president Gil McGowan. "While the stricter guidelines announced today are a step in the right direction, they are not enough to reduce workplace deaths and injuries."

Alberta Liberal Employment and Immigration Critic Harry Chase agreed that proposed changes are a step in the right direction, but warned that employers need to be scrutinized to ensure they follow the rules.

“Financial incentives come with a risk,” Chase said. “Some unscrupulous employers may be tempted to underreport workplace injuries to avoid losing COR certification. The minister needs to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

The COR program is voluntary, though approximately 50 per cent of Alberta workers work for companies with COR.

Global BC, Thurs Jun 2 2011
Byline: Ryan Ellis

Join Together Alberta launches campaign to save education, health and social services

• Alberta is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the world, and yet up to 1,200 teachers and hundreds of school support staff facing layoffs. Meanwhile, post-secondary education and social services are also facing funding cutbacks. The math just doesn't add up – and that's because Alberta's revenue system is broken. Join Together Alberta, a coalition of community groups, social-services agencies and unions has launched a campaign to reform the province's revenue system – and save our services. For AFL Release, Our Alberta Declaration, Town Hall Tour List and http://www.jointogetheralberta.ca/

AFL pushes minister to raise minimum wage

• After two years with minimum-wage levels stuck at $8:80 per hour, and a concerted AFL campaign to push for more, Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk finally announced an increase was coming. Unfortunately, he introduced a two-tier system - with liquor servers who earn tips getting a lower rate than other workers. In a 'mean-spirited' move, the minister revealed that workers would have to wait three more months for the raises to kick in. For more and "Message to Minister Lukaszuk" release

Alberta government's code of silence exposed

• Edmonton Journal writer Sheila Pratt revealed the code of silence that the government of Alberta attempts to impose on critics. She quoted AFL president Gil McGowan: "So the message has been crystal clear – toe the line and you get access. Refuse to play along and you get added to the long list of Albertans who are excluded." Want an example of how Alberta politics works? Pratt says doctors who wanted to improve health care in ways at odds with government policies were told "if you go public, you won't get anywhere." For more information and for Edmonton Journal story

Government continues to put Alberta workers at risk

• An Edmonton murder trial heard that workplace health-and-safety problems played a role in the slaying of the accused's wife, but when called upon to investigate, the Ministry of Employment and Immigration's initial response was to say it could do nothing because a complaint had not been filed. It was only after media reaction that minister Thomas Lukaszuk ordered his investigators to take action. "The government's complaints-driven process is a failure," says AFL president Gil McGowan. "The only way to keep workplaces safe is for a proactive campaign of vigorous and frequent random inspection by inspectors with real powers to punish violators. Instead, this government chooses to wait for complaints to be filed and reacts to them – literally waiting until people are hurt before taking action." For more information ...

Urgent Action

• Support your postie – by dancing! - The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has filed strike notice and its members may stop work as early as Thursday, June 2. They are fighting against proposed cuts in wages and benefits and for safer working conditions and an improved public postal service. Whether or not a walkout has begun, show your support for your local posties by going to a public rally/dance in Edmonton at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 3. For more Stay tuned for updates in the coming days and weeks at www.afl.org, www.cupw.ca, www.cupwedm.net and www.cupwcalgary.org
• Five reasons to support postal workers – and how:

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/jesse/2011/05/5-reasons-support-postal-workers?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rabble-news+%28rabble.ca+-+News+for+the+rest+of+us%29&utm_content=Twitter

Events

• June 2-3: HSAA Annual General Meeting
• June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
• June 5: World Environment Day
• June 6: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Red Deer
• June 7: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Medicine Hat
• June 9: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Grande Prairie
• June 11: Edmonton Pride Parade
• June 15: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Calgary
• June 16: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Lethbridge
• June 20: World Refugee Day
• June 21: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Fort McMurray
• June 21-22: AFL Executive Committee and Council Meetings
• June 23: Join Together Alberta Town Hall, Edmonton
• June 27: AFL Joint Standing Committee Meeting: Education, Human Rights & Int'l. Solidarity, Pride and Solidarity, Workers of Colour and Aboriginal Workers, Political Action
• June 28: AFL Joint Standing Committee Meeting: Environment, Health and Safety, Women, Young Workers
• July 1: Canada Day
• July 3: International Day of Co-operatives
• July 11: World Population Day

Did you know ...

• Corporate profits in Alberta are up 400 per cent
•  The provincial economy is 75-per-cent larger than the national average
•  The provincial government has missed its targets on collecting royalties from oil and gas companies, missing out on about $37 billion in revenue
• Corporate tax cuts are costing the Alberta government about $1 billion per year
• Alberta has no public debt
• Alberta's spending on social services is barely keeping up with population growth
• Provincial spending is declining as a share of the total economy

For more ... and go to http://www.jointogetheralberta.ca

Jobsite fatalities, serious injuries or multiple stop work orders will force an immediate review of employers safety accreditation staring July 1, according to new rules introduced by the province Thursday.

The povince will make it harder for companies to keep their safety Certificate of Recognition or COR.

About 9,000 of 160,000 companies in the province hold the certificate which means they have approved safety programs in place.

Those companies however employ more than 40 per cent of Alberta workers.

Employers without the certificate do not receive annual Partnerships in Injury Reduction rebates from the Workers’ Compensation Board - Alberta (WCB) and cannot bid on certain projects, particularly government infrastructure projects, said Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk.

“Losing a COR is bad for business,” said Lukaszuk. “However, Albertans have the right to work in safe and healthy conditions."

If a company is placed under review, it must develop an action plan focused on making improvements to the workplace.

The COR program was a good idea, but poorly executed, said Gil McGowan, Alberta Federation of Labour.

"For years now this provincial government has been handing out CORs like they were candy," he said. "Any employer that asked for one got them without having to prove they had a good health and safety program in place."

McGowan pointed out that last year the Auditor General identified 63 employers that persistently failed health-and-safety orders, and that about half of them still held CORs.

CBC News, Thurs Jun 2 2011

EDMONTON - Alberta is raising its minimum wage, but too late for students working summer jobs who will be returning to school this fall.

The general minimum wage will rise 60 cents to $9.40 per hour on Sept. 1. But workers who serve alcohol will only get a 25 cent per hour raise.

Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said the government wanted to ensure the raises are reasonable to employers and employees.

"We want to maintain the important balance between attracting people into entry-level positions and helping their employers remain competitive," he said Wednesday.

"Having a different minimum wage for liquor servers recognizes that these individuals earn a significant part of their incomes from tips."

The changes are expected to affect about 20,000 workers in Alberta.

The Alberta Federation of Labour has been calling on the government to raise the minimum to $12.20 to ensure people are earning a living wage.

"We believe that anyone who works full time, full year in our province should earn a wage that allows them to stay out of poverty," said Gil McGowan, president of the federation.

Alberta's new minimum wage rate is in the middle of the pack compared with other provinces and territories. Right now Alberta has the second lowest rate after British Columbia.

Global Regina, Thurs Jun 2 2011

Alberta Workplace safety violators will soon be hit with harsher penalties.

Employment and Immigration minister Thomas Lukaszuk announced Tuesday that workplace deaths, serious injuries and multiple stop-work orders are now grounds for immediate safety reviews.

"We're putting employers on notice," said Lukaszuk. "After July 1, we'll be launching reviews as soon after a workplace incident as possible."

The rule change applies to companies who belong to the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program. COR holders are granted accreditation through a peer based application and approval process. The program recognizes companies who develop a health and safety management system that meets established Employment and Immigration standards.

Lukaszuk says the move is an effort to hold companies accountable after they've received a COR.

"Once you apply for COR and you receive it, there was really no compliance method to make sure that you continue to be living up to the requirements of COR," said Lukaszuk.

More than 9,000 companies in Alberta hold COR certificates. Those companies employ nearly 50% of the workforce in the province.

Of the nine workplace fatalities in Alberta this year, two of the companies can be found on the government list of COR holders.

Employers who have workplace fatalities, serious incidents or injuries, or are issued two or more stop-work orders in a 12 month period can have their COR revoked.

"Now the likelihood of our officers entering your work place unannounced randomly is quite high because I have doubled the number of occupational health and safety officers," said Lukaszuk.

COR accreditation is generally required to bid on substantially larger projects in Alberta. COR holders also receive WCB rebates through the annual Partnerships in Injury Reduction program, which saw upwards of $77 million refunded to Alberta companies last year.

Since the COR program first launched, the Alberta Liberals have called the accreditation process flawed, saying any company who applies can receive the certificate.

"A significant number of companies had these CORs whether they were justified or not, so it was kind of a rubber stamping: apply for it and you receive it. And now, Lukaszuk is talking about actually making it meaningful, which it hasn't been up until this point," said Liberal Employment Critic Harry Chase.

The Alberta Federation of Labour echo's Chase, pointing to a recent "damning report" by the Auditor General that identifies 63 companies that failed health and safety orders, and some still hold CORs.

"The government handed out CORs like Candy - and did little or nothing to take them away from problem employers," said ALF president Gil McGowan. "For these new guidelines to work, the system must be completely transparent. Unfortunately, the government has already proved it lacks the courage to make public the full safety records of employers."

For a list of companies who hold COR certificates visit www.employment.alberta.ca

Edmonton Sun, Thurs Jun 2 2011
Byline: Tanara McLean

HSAA President Elizabeth Ballermann to address delegates on key health challenges and other major issues.

Edmonton (2 June 2011) - Delegates gather today in Edmonton, Alberta to kick off one of Alberta’s largest and longest-serving health care unions, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta's (HSAA/NUPGE), 40th Annual General Meeting.

The two-day meeting, held from June 2 to June 3, will highlight the on-going work of HSAA/NUPGE over the last year. HSAA President Elisabeth Ballermann will deliver her annual address, including timely remarks on the provincial government’s ongoing attempts to “reform” public health care and other important topics. Ballerman was recently re-elected in province-wide ballotting by HSAA members.

A major report for delegates will be an update on health care bargaining. The union has been meeting with the employer representatives since March and has concluded most non-monetary issues. New dates have been scheduled for September to discuss local issues and monetary proposals.

Between debating important resolutions on issues facing health care workers and labour activists in Alberta, members will receive some insightful commentary and likely some comic relief Rick Mercer when he addresses members on Thursday evening for the anniversary celebration.

James Clancy, national president of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), Diana Gibson, research director for the Parkland Institute and the President of the Alberta Federation of Labour, Gil McGowan will also address members.

A presentation on the All Together Now! campaign promoting tax fairness and quality public services will also be featured by the Alberta Champions 4 Change.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. 

NUPGE.ca, Thurs Jun 2 2011

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) welcomed today’s move by the provincial government to improve workplace health and safety, but says changes to the Certificate of Recognition (COR) do not go far enough.

“The COR program is flawed and ineffective, as the Auditor General pointed out in a damning report last year,” says Gil McGowan, president of the AFL, which represents 145,000 workers. “While the stricter guidelines announced today (Thursday) are a step in the right direction, they are not enough to reduce workplace deaths and injuries.”

Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk announced that employers who experience on-site fatalities, serious injuries or multiple stop-work orders would face reviews of their safety accreditation and would find it harder to keep CORs. These certificates can be used to help win contracts and qualify for reduced premiums for the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). Last year, the Auditor General identified 63 employers that persistently failed health-and-safety orders, and that about half of them still held CORs.

“The government handed out CORs like candy – and did little or nothing to take them away from problem employers. It admits that only four companies have lost COR certification in the last seven years due to failed audits. For far too long, Alberta workers have been hurt or killed while bad employers escaped penalty. This has to stop,” says McGowan.

“For these new guidelines to work, the system must be completely transparent. Unfortunately, the government has already proved it lacks the courage to make public the full safety records of employers. It promised to post records nearly a decade ago, but bowed to industry lobbyists and launched a watered-down website that provides only Lost-Time Claims (LTCs), a meaningless statistic that excludes the majority of workplace injuries,” he says.

The AFL says the government must also do more to prevent injuries and death, rather than waiting to react after a tragedy has taken place. It released a 10-point plan to improve safety with recommendations including more inspectors with more powers, more prosecutions of problem employers, protection for workers who blow the whistle on unsafe practices, and mandatory joint health-and-safety committees for workers and employers.

“Most of these policies are already in place in other provinces. Alberta workers deserve at least the same level of protection,” says McGowan.

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Contact:

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

State Sen. Dan Kapanke, a Republican facing a possible recall election, says he's got one huge obstacle that he must overcome to keep his seat.

All the government workers in his district.

In a secretly recorded talk to La Crosse County Republicans last week, Kapanke said he is hoping that all the public employees in his district "are sleeping" on election day.

"We've got tons of government workers in my district - tons. From La Crosse to Prairie du Chien and to Viroqua and to Ontario and to Hillsboro, you can go on and on and on. We have to overcome that. We gotta hope that they, kind of, are sleeping on July 12th - or whenever the (election) date is."

During the talk, which took place May 25 at the Cedar Creek Golf Club in Onalaska, Kapanke said he was one of three Republicans who are in serious jeopardy of losing their seats.

The other two, according to the La Crosse Republican, are Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills and Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac.

"We could lose me. We could lose Randy Hopper in the 18th or Alberta Darling over in – wherever she is – the 8th, I believe. We could lose one, but then we'd better gain it back. And that'd be able to hold our line, and gain one or two of their seats, and that will shut 'em down now. We have 19 (Republican senators). If we come back with 21, after these elections, it's over."

Kapanke said the situation in Madison would change dramatically if Democrats pick up seats. He lost to U.S. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) in last fall's general election.

"If they gain control of the Senate, it might be over for us. Because redistricting will play a role, as you know, and we lose that power."

In an interview today, Kapanke campaign manager Jennifer Harrington said her boss has a number of government workers supporting him and working to help him retain his seat. In fact, she said some of those attending the May 25 speech were public employees.

Kapanke, she said, was simply trying to encourage his supporters to come out to vote in the possible recall election. She said the election is about the state budget, not government workers.

Asked if Kapanke made a mistake in saying his campaign has to "overcome" the public employees in his district, Harrington said, "I have not talked to him about that."

Harrington said she wouldn't be surprised if Kapanke's taped remarks are used to stir up his opponents.

"Everything we say, everything Dan does, brings out people," Harrington said.

Last month, the state Government Accountability Board certified the recall petitions against Kapanke, setting the election for July 12. He is expected to face state Rep. Jennifer Shilling of La Crosse.

On Tuesday, Kapanke and two other Republicans went to court to try to block their elections, accusing Democrats of improperly filing paperwork with state officials when they organized the recall efforts. Democrats have said they expect the suit to be tossed.

Kapanke is one of six Republican senators being targeted for recall elections because they supported Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair plan, which is tied up in court. The measure would curb collective bargaining for most public employees.

Three Democratic senators are also the subject of recall efforts because they fled the state in an effort to block a vote on Walker's budget proposal.

All Politics Blog - Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Wed Jun 2 2011

Today's announcement that minimum-wage levels in the province are going up has been welcomed by the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), but the labour organization has serious concerns over details of the new policy.

"This raise has to be seen in context," says McGowan, president of the AFL, which represents 145,000 workers. "This is not a great leap forward. If the government had stuck with its old policy of annual raises, workers would already be getting more than the $9.40 per hour it is setting as the new general rate. Those getting the new second-tier of $9.05 per hour are falling further behind."

He described the introduction of a two-tier system, with liquor servers earning less than other workers, as "unfair and almost impossible to administer."

"The minister says liquor servers get tips, so don't deserve the same wage as other workers," says McGowan. "But what about workers who serve liquor but don't get tips? What about workers who get tips but don't serve liquor, like servers in unlicensed restaurants, or estheticians?"

McGowan also criticized the decision to delay applying the new rates until September 1st, meaning students working summer jobs won't benefit. "We have waited more than two years for a raise. Imposing another three-month delay is simply mean-spirited."

The AFL welcomed the plan to have a system for annual increases to minimum-wage levels, but is worried that the decision to implement these annual raises will be left to the cabinet instead of being applied automatically.

"How can we trust that raises will be implemented fairly when this minister froze the minimum wage for two years in defiance of the government's stated policy?"

The AFL has called for the minimum wage to be given a one-time boost to $12.20 and then increased annually. "We believe that anyone who works full time, full year in our province should earn a wage that allows them to stay out of poverty. Neither of the two new rates is enough to do that," says McGowan. "This higher rate moves Alberta from the second lowest minimum wage in Canada to sixth place – hardly enough to warrant celebration. The lower rate is even closer to the bottom."

McGowan dismissed fears that a larger increase in minimum wage levels would lead to lost jobs. "A five-year analysis by the AFL last year showed that raises in the minimum wage led to more jobs being created in service industries, not less," says McGowan.

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Contact: Gil McGowan, president, Alberta Federation of Labour @ 780-218-9888 (cell)

This just out. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Republican state Sen. Dan Kapanke, who's facing a recall election after voting to kill collective bargaining rights for public employees, says he's got one huge obstacle that he must overcome to keep his seat:

All the government workers in his district.

In a secretly recorded talk to La Crosse County Republicans last week, Kapanke said he is hoping that all the public employees in his district "are sleeping" on election day.

"We've got tons of government workers in my district—tons. From La Crosse to Prairie du Chien and to Viroqua and to Ontario and to Hillsboro, you can go on and on and on. We have to overcome that. We gotta hope that they, kind of, are sleeping on July 12th—or whenever the (election) date is."

Oops. Looks like Kapanke forgot public-sector workers are also taxpayers. Who vote.

AFL-CIO Now Blog, Wed Jun 1 2011
Byline: Tula Connell