ALF V1

The Stelmach government is forging ahead with an upgrader partnership designed to process more oilsands in Alberta at a time when market forces are working against their goal and the premier actively promotes sending the product to Asia.

Alberta Energy announced Tuesday it has launched negotiations with North West Upgrading that would see the company build a new bitumen processing facility northeast of Edmonton, in an effort to keep more value-added jobs and investment in the province.

The 150,000 barrels-per-day upgrader proposed by North West would be built in three stages and see the provincial government collect its royalty share of oilsands production in-kind, as it currently does for conventional crude. Up to 75,000 barrels per day would be processed on behalf of the province.

The government believes collecting the bitumen royalties in place of cash will spur more upgrading, refining and petrochemical development in Alberta.

However, the province recognizes current market conditions -- including a small price spread between bitumen and synthetic crude -- are leading to more product than it would like being shipped to the U.S. for processing.

"That's a two-edged sword. The province gets a higher royalty on raw bitumen but there's less incentive to upgrade it here. The margin isn't there," Energy Minister Ron Liepert said Tuesday.

"We have to look at it from a longer-term perspective. We believe the shrunken (price) differential is short term and that longer term there will be enough margin that it will be profitable."

Liepert believes forcing companies to process more oilsands in Alberta will attach too many strings and "drive away investment."

The provincial announcement comes as Premier Ed Stelmach is in China promoting Alberta's oilsands and looking to open the world's largest market to Canadian crude. Stelmach has advocated for Enbridge's controversial $5.5-billion Northern Gateway pipeline from northern Alberta to the port of Kitimat, B.C.

The project would see Alberta petroleum, including bitumen, shipped to the coast and on to Asia where it could be upgraded, sending more of the product out of the province for processing.

The government is also facing criticism for allowing an increasing amount of bitumen to be piped to the U.S., as natural market drivers and a glut of oilsands processing capacity south of the border make it an attractive option for petroleum producers.

In the fall of 2006, Stelmach pledged during the Tory leadership race to stem the oilsands movement to the U.S., making it a key plank in his platform and comparing it to "scraping off the topsoil" from prime farm land.

Alberta produces approximately 1.4 million barrels of oilsands per day, with between roughly 60 and 62 per cent of that upgraded in the province -- down slightly from 63 per cent at the end of 2006 -- according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

The current ratio is also behind the province's goal of 67 per cent and its plans to increase it to 72 per cent by 2016.

And as the percentage of bitumen upgraded in Alberta continues to lag behind the government's target, energy economists believe the situation will only worsen as market forces send more product stateside and erode the value-added sector.

"There's less value-added to be created by upgrading than we anticipated there would be a few years ago," said Andre Plourde, a professor at the University of Alberta and member of the government's past royalty review panel.

Plourde worries that picking a single firm and offering preferential treatment for upgrading isn't necessarily "a way of getting good value for the owners of the bitumen," as it blocks price signals from other participants.

CAPP, the oilpatch's main lobby group, believes Alberta will continue to process between 60 and 65 per cent of bitumen in the province over the next 15 years as more private sector upgraders come online.

The Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents 27 public and private sector unions with about 137,000 workers, called the government's bitumen royalty-in-kind announcement "a small step in the right direction."

But AFL president Gil McGowan noted that upgrading an additional 75,000 barrels a day out of 1.4 million is "really just a drop in a very big bucket." He wants the government to consider more aggressive policies such as export restrictions, and publicly financing upgrading and refining projects.

"One day we hear the government promoting the Gateway pipeline, and the next day we hear (Stelmach) talking about keeping value-added jobs in the province," McGowan said.

Calgary Herald, Wed May 19 2010
Byline: Jason Fekete

On April 28, workers around the world participated in the International Day of Mourning -- a day set aside to remember the multitude of people killed or injured at work each year.

Here in Alberta, unions and other groups organized a number of solemn events aimed at drawing public attention to the fact that workplace fatality rates in Alberta are consistently and significantly higher than the national average.

But this year, it wasn't stories of our province's dismal experience with workplace safety that made headlines.

Instead, it was Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk -- aided no doubt by spin doctors from the government's notorious Public Affairs Bureau -- who grabbed the spotlight by pointing to statistics showing that the number of workplace deaths in the province had dropped to 110 in 2009 from an all-time high of 166 in 2008.

"We've made good progress reducing workplace injuries," said Lukaszuk at a news conference, suggesting it was actions taken by his government that led to the dramatic year-over-year drop in workplace fatalities.

The problem with Lukaszuk's characterization of the situation is that it whitewashes the Alberta government's real track record on workplace health and safety. It also provides a convenient excuse for the minister to do nothing in response to a recent and scathing report from the auditor general which identified "serious weaknesses" in the Alberta government's system for enforcing its own workplace safety rules.

The question that should have been asked -- but apparently wasn't -- when the minister referred to the lower fatality rates in 2009 is: Why? Did the fatality numbers really drop because the government was doing a better job of promoting workplace health and safety?

The truth is that neither Lukaszuk nor his ministry can take credit for the drop in workplace fatalities. The real reason fewer people died on the job in 2009 is that fewer people were working.

As a result of the recession, there were many fewer people working in Alberta's most dangerous industries: 35,000 fewer in manufacturing; 30,000 fewer in oil and gas; 20,000 fewer in construction.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a smaller workforce will likely lead to a smaller number of fatalities and injuries -- even in the absence of any measures by employers and government to improve safety.

A more instructive picture of how the Alberta government is really performing on workplace health and safety is painted in a new study from the Alberta Federation of Labour entitled, Danger: Workers At Risk.

The report shows that the Alberta government employs fewer workplace safety inspectors than most other provinces and spends less per worker on workplace safety today than it did 20 years ago -- even though a much larger proportion of the provincial workforce is now employed in one of the four most dangerous industries (oil and gas; construction; manufacturing; and transportation).

Instead of patting himself and his government on the back for a job supposedly well done, Lukaszuk should have used his news conference to explain why Alberta spends less per worker on workplace safety than other provinces -- even though our provincial economy is more dramatically skewed toward dangerous industries than other jurisdictions.

He should also have explained why his government still has not responded to a year-old fatality inquiry into the workplace death of farm worker Kevan Chandler which strongly recommended that agricultural workers be granted the same protections under the Occupational Health and Safety Code as other workers.

And he should have explained why his government hasn't yet committed to implementing the recommendations of the auditor general's report which came to the shocking conclusion that the Alberta government "does not have a clear decision-making ladder for escalating compliance action from promotion and education to enforcement."

In other words, the Alberta government has not been punishing Alberta employers for putting their workers at risk, even when those employers have been found repeatedly to be in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Code.

In the end, Lukaszuk's "don't worry, be happy" approach to workplace safety may be enough to grab the media spotlight for a few days. But it won't be enough to stop a return to unacceptably high workplace injury and fatality rates once the provincial economy starts to pick up steam again.

In fact, the number of workplace fatalities recorded in the first three months of 2010 (36 deaths) is already up dramatically compared with the first three months of 2009.

If this pace is maintained, what exactly will Lukaszuk say at next year's Day of Mourning ceremonies?

Will he find new ways to massage the numbers to justify the status quo? Or will he finally admit that his government is not doing enough to make sure all working Albertans make it home safely at the end of their shifts?

Calgary Herald, Tues May 18 2010
Byline: Gil McGowan

On April 28, workers around the world participated in the International Day of Mourning -- a day set aside to remember the multitude of people killed or injured at work each year.

Here in Alberta, unions and other groups organized a number of solemn events aimed at drawing public attention to the fact that workplace fatality rates in Alberta are consistently and significantly higher than the national average.

But this year, it wasn't stories of our province's dismal experience with workplace safety that made headlines.

Instead, it was Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk -- aided no doubt by spin doctors from the government's notorious Public Affairs Bureau -- who grabbed the spot light by pointing to statistics showing that the number of workplace deaths in the province had dropped to 110 in 2009 from an all-time high of 166 in 2008.

"We've made good progress reducing workplace injuries," said Lukaszuk at a news conference, suggesting it was actions taken by his government that led to the dramatic year-over-year drop in workplace fatalities.

The problem with Lukaszuk's characterization of the situation is that it whitewashes the Alberta government's real track record on workplace health and safety. It also provides a convenient excuse for the minister to do nothing in response to a recent and scathing report from the Auditor General which identified "serious weaknesses" in the Alberta government's system for enforcing its own workplace safety rules.

The question that should have been asked -- but apparently wasn't -- when the minister referred to the lower fatality rates in 2009 is: why? Did the fatality numbers really drop because the government was doing a better job of promoting workplace health and safety?

The truth is that neither Lukaszuk nor his ministry can take credit for the drop in workplace fatalities. The real reason fewer people died on the job in 2009 is that fewer people were working.

As a result of the recession, there were many fewer people working in Alberta's most dangerous industries: 35,000 fewer in manufacturing; 30,000 fewer in oil and gas; 20,000 fewer in construction.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a smaller workforce will likely lead to a smaller number of fatalities and injuries -- even in the absence of any measures by employers and government to improve safety.
A more instructive picture of how the Alberta government is really performing on workplace health and safety is painted in a new study by the Alberta Federation of Labour entitled, "Danger: Workers At Risk."
The report shows that the Alberta government employs fewer workplace safety inspectors than most other provinces. It also shows that the Alberta government spends less on workplace safety today than it did 20 years ago -even though a much larger proportion of the provincial workforce now is now employed in one of the four most dangerous industries (oil and gas; construction; manufacturing; and transportation).

Instead of patting himself and his government on the back for a job supposedly well done, Lukaszuk should have used his news conference to explain why Alberta spends less on workplace safety than other provinces -- even though our provincial economy is more dramatically skewed toward dangerous industries than other jurisdictions.

He should also have explained why his government still has not responded to a year-old fatality inquiry into the workplace death of farm worker Kevan Chandler which strongly recommended that agricultural workers be granted the same protections under the Occupational Health and Safety Code as other workers (most Albertans would be shocked to find out they are not already covered).

And, perhaps most importantly, he should have explained why his government hasn't yet committed to implementing the recommendations of the Auditor General's report which came to the shocking conclusion that the Alberta government "does not have a clear decision making ladder for escalating compliance action from promotion and education to enforcement."

In other words, the Alberta government has not been punishing Alberta employers for putting their workers at risk, even when those employers have been found repeatedly to be in violation of the Occupation Health and Safety Code.

In the end, Lukaszuk's "don't worry, be happy" approach to workplace safety may be enough to grab the media spotlight for a few days. But it won't be enough to stop a return to unacceptably high workplace injury and fatality rates once the provincial economy starts to pick up steam again.

Edmonton Journal, Wed May 5 2010
Byline: Gil McGowan

EDMONTON - Canada's three westernmost provinces signed a wide-ranging deal Friday that will apply to everything from trade, investment and labour mobility to international marketing.

The New West Partnership creates a powerful $550-billion trading block with roughly nine million people that the governments say will save money and allow them to better exploit Asian markets.

"We've just gone through a huge global economic shift," Premier Ed Stelmach said from Regina. "There's going to be a tremendous competition for labour, for investment. And investment will naturally navigate to those areas that have the same regulations, larger base populations."

The agreement between B.C., Saskatchewan and Alberta builds on the trade, investment and labour mobility agreement, or TILMA, that Alberta and B.C. signed in 2006.

But officials say this agreement is more far-reaching, since it is coupled with an international marketing push and puts an emphasis on procurement and innovation.

The agreement seeks to co-ordinate virtually all government regulation and professional standards. Teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers and members of any other regulated profession will be able to move freely between the provinces.

The premiers say their provinces could save money under the deal by pooling their purchases for things like machinery and medical supplies.
In particular, Wall said they are looking at bulk drug buying. "Of the $8 billion in procurement that each province is making, a lot of that money is going toward health care."

Governments will still be able to enforce their own regulations for "legitimate objectives," such as public health and safety, environmental protection and worker safety.

The deal also offers protection for Crown corporations through a separate agreement of the provinces' trade ministers.

The TILMA agreement has faced opposition, particularly from labour groups who fear it will create a regulatory race to the bottom.

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said the new deal passes too much power from elected officials to companies who have their own interests at heart.

He was skeptical of claims that governments will be able to protect the public interest once the deal is fully implemented in 2013.

"Governments shouldn't have to spend millions of dollars trying to protect their right to regulate in the public interest. They should just be able to do it," McGowan said.

Liberal Leader David Swann said the deal should be debated in the legislature so Albertans can have concerns like McGowan's addressed. But overall, he said it makes sense to knock down trade barriers between the provinces.

"If we're going to have free trade south of the border, surely we should have it across our own borders here," Swann said.

The three premiers will all be part of a trade mission to Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo from May 14 to 22.

Edmonton Journal, Sat May 1 2010
Byline: Archie McLean

Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan have come together to form an alliance they say will make Western Canada an "economic powerhouse."
The three provinces signed the New West Partnership in Regina on Friday, a partnership that would put the trio's combined market value at $555 billion.

"We signed an agreement today that creates an amazing economic force," said Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.

The partnership aims to look at ways to attract more investors and deal internationally, specifically in Asia.

"(Western Canada) is an economic region that is home to a number of industries that the world is very interested in right now. It is home to not only the resources that people want, but the innovations and the science that the world is interested in," Wall said.

"When you can say to international investors there's a nine million-person market that's available, when you can say that to our own businesses, it is a very positive economic launching pad," said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.

But Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour doesn't agree.

"The vast majority of companies that decide to invest in Alberta make those decisions based on our resources, rather than our rules and regulations," McGowan said.

Under the agreement, there are also plans to remove trade, investment, and labour mobility barriers between the three provinces, similar to concepts of TILMA, the trade, investment and labour mobility agreement signed between Alberta and B.C. in 2007, which had been openly protested by the Council of Canadians and the Alberta Federation of Labour. But the premiers have stressed that New West is not the same as TILMA.

McGowan says the labour and trade component of the New West agreement is trying to "fix a problem that doesn't exist."

"The reality is there isn't a problem of labour mobility in this country and there hasn't been for years."

But a spokesman for the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation says any initiative that lessens or removes trade and investment barriers is positive for the economy.

New West will also look at joint procurement, whether items like medical equipment, textbooks for schools and pharmaceutical products can be bulk purchased as a way to save on provincial spending.

"All three provinces are going to be able to reduce some of their public expenditures and when we do that we can then keep our taxes low," Premier Ed Stelmach said.

"When we move to a common procurement strategy, we will save millions of dollars for our taxpayers," Campbell said.

"Our taxpayers will get much better value for every dollar that we take out of their pockets."

The three premiers head to Asia on May 14 to make their first appearance as part of the New West to Asian investors.

The New West Partnership trade agreement will officially come into effect July 1.

Edmonton Sun, Fri Apr 30 2010
Byline: Linda Hoang

Workers that have been killed or injured on the job were honoured yesterday at city hall as a National Day of Mourning was observed in their name.

Labour unions and groups are pushing for the government to crack down on what the union group sees as a lack of action.

"Our work force is growing, but our government is not putting their money where their mouth is," said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour. "Alberta is one of the most dangerous places in Canada to work."

According to the provincial government though, the number of occupational fatalities in Alberta was down from 166 in 2008 to 110 in 2009.

Marie Clarke Walker, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, added that even if the number is lower than last year, it still doesn't hide the weekly deaths that occur.

"Twenty workers in Canada and two in Alberta will not come home (this week)," said Clarke Walker. "These deaths need to stop."

Clarke Walker said that until the government starts to follow through with prosecutions on corporations and business responsible for work related injuries and deaths, everything must be done to help the workers.

"When 20 workers die a week, we must do everything we can," she said.

Of the 110 work related fatalities, 49 were from occupational disease, 41 were workplace incidents, and 20 were the result of motor vehicle incidents.

MetroNews, Thurs Apr 29 2010
Byline: Andrew Cowie

Workplace injuries were at a record low in the province last year but there's still a long way to go, Minister of Employment and Immigration Thomas Lukaszuk said.

"No matter how you slice it, no matter how you measure it, there is a decrease in lost-time claims and injuries, which is a good thing," Lukaszuk said Wednesday at a North American safety and health event in Edmonton.

While the injury rates were down from previous years, the changes were slight.

Lost-time claim rates, which track workers who receive reimbursement for full or partially lost wages because of a job-related injury or disease, were down from 1.88 per cent in 2008 to 1.69 per cent in 2009. Those rates were down across all major industries in the province, but the manufacturing, processing and packaging, and mining and petroleum development sectors saw the biggest declines.

There were 3.09 disabling-injury claims for every 100 full-time positions in 2009, down from 3.63 in 2008, which includes employees who had to miss work or be placed on modifi ed duties.

Workplace fatalities were also down last year, from 166 deaths in 2008 to 110 in 2009.

"That's 110 Albertans too many," Lukaszuk said.

Forty-nine deaths were due to occupational disease, 41 from incidents at work and 20 were the result of motor-vehicle accidents that occurred on the job.

The minister said he has taken steps to hire eight additional front-line officers to inspect workplaces, adding that a committee of representatives from organized labour and employers in the province is currently working on the enforcement of existing safety rules.

Lukaszuk also addressed the recent auditor general's report that criticized the government for not cracking down on employers who routinely violate safety violations. The minister has promised to release the list naming those employers, but said he needs to be certain the list is both complete and accurate before he can do so.

"The moment I have a green light from the auditor general and from my department, I will release it," he said.

But critics have expressed their frustration at the minister's delay in releasing the company names.

"We're frustrated and disappointed that the minister continues to refuse to release the list of repeat violators, because Albertans deserve to know if their employers are running safe workplaces," said Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan, adding a public list would provide employers with an incentive to improve their safety practices.

On Wednesday, workers and unions across the province marked the National Day of Mourning to honour workers killed and injured while on the job.

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees marked the occasion with a ceremony at its headquarters in Edmonton and called on the government to enact a law that makes employee-employer occupational health and safety committees mandatory for most workplaces, a measure every other Canadian province already has in place.

"There has to be a commitment to dealing with these issues on an ongoing basis," said AUPE president Guy Smith.

Lukaszuk said he is willing to work with the union if its recommendations prove to be eff ective, but stopped short of making any promises. "Nothing is off the table," he said. "Everything will be looked at."

Both Smith and McGowan welcomed the minister's announcement that eight new inspectors will be hired, but said the measure doesn't adequately address worker safety.

"Eight health-and-safety inspectors are a welcome addition, but it still falls short of what's necessary," McGowan said. "Alberta has 1.4 inspectors for 10,000 workers, compared to the national average of 2.1. Adding eight inspectors isn't going to change that ratio a whole lot."

Both the AFL and AUPE worry the province will see an increase in workplace injuries and deaths as the economy begins to improve.

"The point is that everybody should be committed to worker health and safety, so nobody gets injured or killed," Smith said. "The most important thing someone can take home from work is their life, health and well-being, and that's paramount."

Edmonton Journal, Thurs Apr 29 2010
Byline: Mariam Ibrahim

Research shows Alberta spends less on workplace safety now than in 1991 - even though many more Albertans work in dangerous industries

New research released today by Alberta's largest workers' advocacy organization shows that government spending on workplace safety has not kept pace with growth in the provincial economy and population - and, as a result, workers around the province are being put at risk, especially if the economy ramps up for another boom.

"Alberta is one of the most dangerous places in Canada to be a worker," says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.

"We have more people working in dangerous industries than other provinces and we have a workplace fatality rate that's much higher than the national average. Given these realities, you'd think our provincial government would spend more per worker on workplace safety. But, unfortunately, they don't. In fact, we spend less than we did in 1991 and we have fewer inspectors than most other provinces. Keeping working Albertans safe just doesn't seem to be the high priority it should be."

The new AFL report, entitled Danger: Workers at Risk, outlines the following facts about Alberta workplace safety and related provincial government spending:

1. Alberta has more workplace fatalities than the national average, at 5.9 per 100,000 workers compared with 4.2 nationally
2. The number of Albertans working in the four most dangerous industries has almost doubled since 1991, growing to 620,000 workers from 341,000
3. Alberta employs fewer health and safety inspectors than the national average: 1.4 inspectors per 10,000 workers compared with the national figure of 2.1
4. Alberta spends less per worker on occupational health and safety today (when 22 per cent of Albertans work in the top four dangerous industries) than the Getty government did in 1991 (when only 15 per cent of Albertans worked in the four most dangerous industries)

McGowan says the provincial government's chronic under-funding of its workplace safety work is particularly troubling in light of the recent report on occupational health and safety from the Alberta Auditor General.

In his report, the Auditor General concluded that there are "serious weaknesses" in the government's approach to safety and that the government "does not have a clear decision ladder for escalating compliance action from promotion and education to enforcement," even in cases where an employer has repeatedly been found in violation of the government's own workplace safety legislation.

"In other words, not only does the Alberta government have an inadequate number of inspectors - it also doesn't empower those inspectors to crack down on employers who they know are putting workers at risk," says McGowan.

None of this bodes well for working Albertans as the provincial economy begins to show early signs of a return to growth, says McGowan.

"Workplace fatalities shot up during the last boom - and they'll shoot up again if we don't put adequate resources and procedures in place now," concludes McGowan. "Now - before the next boom starts - is the time to fix Alberta's broken system for workplace safety. If we don't, more Albertans are going to needlessly pay the price. And that price will be paid with their bodies and with their lives."

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

Complete Service Alberta survey and submit by Friday, April 30, 2010

Apr 21, 2010

Issue: Service Alberta's survey on employment agencies (primarily for temporary foreign workers)

Action Requested: Complete Service Alberta's survey and submit

When: All surveys must be submitted by Friday, April 30, 2010

Background:

• "Employment agencies," better known as recruiters, often illegally charge large fees to desperate temporary foreign workers in exchange for job placement. The Alberta Federation of Labour Temporary Foreign Worker Advocate has found that the majority of foreign workers have been charged fees ranging anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000.

• The agencies are getting around the law by calling the fees settlement services or by charging for "arranging visas." The government has failed to prosecute any of these recruiters (unless they forget to pay the $200 licensing fee) by saying that the legislation was never designed for that kind of situation.

• Recently, the federal government has been forcing employers to fire foreign workers, breaching many collective agreements in the process and exacerbating the situation. It has become virtually impossible for foreign workers who have been working in Canada to get government permission to work here. A number of recruiters have been feeding on this desperation to turn a profit.

AFL's Position:

If employers need employees, then it is the employer that should pay the cost of recruiting, whether they are foreign or domestic.

Government should close loopholes in the law that allows employment agencies to charge workers for recruitment including related services.

When an employment agency is found to have broken the law by charging a worker fees, there should be a provision that the worker can sue for damages based on the finding (the Personal Information Protection Act provides this for breaches of privacy.)

Action:

Download Service Alberta's survey (http://www.servicealberta.ca/pdf/Employment_agencies_DP.pdf). You can submit your answers online by filling out the form and clicking on the "Submit by Email" button at the end of the form, or you may print it out and fax it or mail it in. If you plan to mail it, please get in posted very quickly so that it is received by next Friday, April 30, 2010.

The survey asks if you think the definition of Employment Agency should be broadened to include things like arranging visas, settlement services, etc. We think it should. Recruiters have been managing to avoid prosecution by saying that they are charging $10,000 for things like "settlement services" (arranging visas, arranging Alberta Health, opening bank accounts, etc.) not for "recruitment."

Issue 3 reflects actual common situations that foreign workers have, and continue to face. All such activities should be illegal and recruiters, who threaten, etc., should be prosecuted and sued.

Issue 4 asks whether agencies should have to provide security (like posting a bond) to protect job-seekers from financial harm. The Manitoba government has successfully implemented a program such as this and we believe that Alberta should also. Please answer "yes" to these questions.

Section 2 deals with the "settlement services" issue. We believe the suggested definition should also be expanded to include all services relating to accommodation, which would include buying furniture, etc. We are opposed to the "more than 30 days" clause - all costs of arranging accommodation should be covered by the employer. They should also be responsible for all services related to food and clothing. Most importantly, we believe that it is the employer who should pay for all such services, not the foreign worker. So, it is our position that agencies should be prohibited from charging temporary foreign workers fees for any settlement services (Issue 7, Question 7)

Contact information:

Employment Agencies Discussion Paper
Service Alberta, Consumer Programs
3rd floor Commerce Place
10155 - 102 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 4L4
Fax: (780) 427-3033

If you have further questions or need more information, please contact Yessy Byl at [email protected] or call 780-474-8101.

Danger Workers at Risk: New research reveals Alberta's dismal record of under-funding workplace safety

Alberta is one of the most dangerous places in Canada to be a worker. Our province consistently records more workplace deaths than the national average. As a proportion of our overall labour force, we have more people working in dangerous occupations and industries than other provinces.