ALF V1

Representatives from some of Alberta's construction unions say the case of Chinese temporary foreign workers having their paycheques siphoned by their employer reveals huge flaws with the federal government program that need to be addressed by a public enquiry.

Two temporary foreign workers were killed and four others injured in April 2007, when the roof of the massive storage tank they were building collapsed at the Horizon oilsands project north of Fort McMurray.

After talking to the dead men's widows, the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) uncovered serious issues relating to the payments received by the temporary foreign workers on the project.

"We went to great lengths to make sure there was a Canadian bank account for all of these workers," said Wayne Prins, CLAC representative.

"We did continual checks that the payroll was processed and the correct amount of money was deposited in the accounts.

"We monitored the situation closely and spoke to people to confirm this was happening. We had every indication it was happening."

CLAC found out after the deaths that the Chinese workers on the project were not receiving their full salaries.

"We had concerns that they did not have access to their full accounts," said Prins.

"The employer had access to their accounts and what was being collected was less than what was being paid."

A story in the Edmonton Journal last week reported that the widows of the dead men said the wages their husbands were making were about 12 per cent of what they should have been paid.

One welder's widow said he made about $600 per month.

"We have not been able to confirm what was actually being collected by the craft workers on this project," said Prins."

CLAC is continuing its efforts to see what has happened to these personal accounts."

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL) runs the construction site at the Horizon oilsands project.

According to Prins, CNRL hired Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company (SSEC) to build the storage tanks. SSEC is the Canadian arm of Sinopec, which is a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

SSEC had signing authority on all of the workers' bank accounts.

The correct amount was paid into each employee's Bank of Montreal account, but disappeared before it reached families in China.

In the case of a welder, the regular pay should have been about $8,000 to $10,000 a month.

The Alberta Federation of Labour said that CNRL and CLAC made huge mistakes in their rush to bring the Chinese workers into Alberta.

"The first mistake was allowing the Chinese government to have direct access to these workers. CNRL had a responsibility to make sure they weren't exploited," said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.

"And, CLAC failed in its responsibility to these workers. No mainstream union would have permitted an arrangement like allowing an employer to have signing authority on worker bank accounts," he said.

The CLAC argues the AFL comments are not surprising given the fact that the two unions are competing for members.

"It is not surprising that Gil McGowan and other unions respond in this way, because they are in competition with us and we have a different approach to labour relations," said Prins.

Daily Commerce News and Construction Record, Fri July 4 2008
Byline: Richard Gilbert

Federal government's regulation of Red Seal qualifications draws skepticism

Some Chinese immigrants are seeking high-paying employment on oilsands projects as electricians, but the union doesn't trust the federal government's regulation of Red Seal qualifications.

"People from outside Canada come for a better life. They go to Ontario and say they were qualified as electricians and are allowed to challenge the provincial Red Seal," said Tim Brower, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 424.

Most of immigrant workers are qualified electricians, who write the electricians trade exams in Ontario and trade in their certificates for the equivalent document in Alberta.

However, an increasing number of the workers obtained their diplomas without gaining the proper experience.

According to the union, some of these newly ticketed electricians have never been trained properly.

"Some of these people are good and have qualifications. Some people have never been qualified or on a construction site in their lives," he said.

The Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology confirmed that they have suspended the acceptance of all industrial electrician certificates issued from outside Alberta.

"There was criticism of certified industrial engineers coming in from Ontario," said Donna McColl, assistant director of communication with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology.

"Questions were asked about the qualifications of some folks on the job site. The Red Seal certification was obtained in Ontario from a certain organization and that organization is currently under investigation."

According to Brower, there is a company in Ontario that teaches people to challenge the provincial Red Seal exam, with the help of an interpreter.

However, after these electricians are hired, they no longer have the assistance of an interpreter.

For some of these workers, it also became clear that they were not qualified construction electricians.

"The school in Ontario was training people to challenge the exam and giving them a road map to Alberta," he said.

In response to the situation, the IBEW is checking the references and the work histories of Chinese and Indian immigrants, before they obtain jobs in the Alberta oilsands.

"We have always trusted the government to make sure that a high standard is maintained, but we can't trust the government anymore," said Brower.

"We have to make sure they are qualified electricians. There is a safety concern here, because we don't want anybody to get injured."

The province is more strict about certification.

"Alberta has more stringent pre-screening and follow up on credentials," said Brower. "They can't challenge the Red Seal with an interpreter who is qualified in that trade."

McColl said that the matter is still under investigation, but the ministry has been holding all applications for equivalency for the industrial electrician since February.

However, this move is not enough for some.

"The government has stopped issuing equivalencies, but they are still not going out looking for people to disqualify," said Brower, who added he believes there could already be hundreds of unqualified people working in the province.

A spokesman for the Alberta Federation of Labour said that this problem may extend to other trades.

"The provincial government is only stepping in to stop certification from out of province for the electrical trades," said Gil McGowan, AFL president.

"They are not doing it for the other trades. I have a serious concern about these type of outfits that are diploma mills. They are not giving workers the skills needed on the work sites, but just show them how to pass the Red Seal certification exam."

McGowan said he wants every provincial government in Canada to crack down quickly on these schools, because they undermine the system of trade evaluation and certification.

Journal of Commerce, Mon June 30 2008
Byline: Richard Gilbert

Representatives from some of Alberta's construction unions say the case of Chinese temporary foreign workers having their paycheques siphoned by their employer reveals huge flaws with the federal government program that need to be addressed by a public enquiry.

Two temporary foreign workers were killed and four others injured in April 2007, when the roof of the massive storage tank they were building collapsed at the Horizon oilsands project north of Fort McMurray.

After talking to the dead men's widows, the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) uncovered serious issues relating to the payments received by the temporary foreign workers on the project.

"We went to great lengths to make sure there was a Canadian bank account for all of these workers," said Wayne Prins, CLAC representative.

"We did continual checks that the payroll was processed and the correct amount of money was deposited in the accounts. We monitored the situation closely and spoke to people to confirm this was happening. We had every indication it was happening."

The CLAC found out after the deaths that the Chinese workers on the project were not receiving their full salary.

"We had concerns that they did not have access to their full accounts," said Prins.

"The employer had access to their accounts and what was being collected was less than what was being paid."

A story in the Edmonton Journal last week reported that the widows of the dead men said the wages their husbands were making were about 12 per cent of what they should have been paid.

One welder's widow said he made about $600 per month.

"We have not been able to confirm what was actually being collected by the craft workers on this project," said Prins. "The CLAC is continuing its efforts to see what has happened to these personal accounts."

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL) runs the construction site at the Horizon oilsands project.

According to Prins, CNRL hired Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company (SSEC) to build the storage tanks. SSEC is the Canadian arm of Sinopec, which is a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

SSEC had signing authority on all of the workers' bank accounts.

The correct amount was paid into each employee's Bank of Montreal account, but disappeared before it reached families in China.

In the case of a welder, the regular pay should have been about $8,000 to $10,000 a month.

The Alberta Federation of Labour said that CNRL and the CLAC made huge mistakes in their rush to bring the Chinese TFWs into Alberta.

"The first mistake was allowing the Chinese government to have direct access to these workers. CNRL had a responsibility to make sure they weren't exploited," said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.

"And, CLAC failed in its responsibility to these workers. No mainstream union would have permitted an arrangement like allowing an employer to have signing authority on worker bank accounts," he said.

The CLAC argues the AFL comments are not surprising given the fact that the two unions are competing for members.

"It is not surprising that Gil McGowan and other unions respond in this way, because they are in competition with us and we have a different approach to labour relations," said Prins.

"The reality is that in Alberta we are growing rapidly and their market share is decreasing."

Alberta Workplace Health and Safety investigators finished their report on the Chinese workers' deaths last October.

"As a result of the revelations about the payments of Chinese workers at the Horizon Oil Sands project, the government has announced that they have completed the investigation into the deaths of the Chinese workers," McGowan said.

"We don't know the results of the investigation into health and safety issues and company practices, but the report has been forwarded to the justice department and they are looking to see if charges will be laid by the solicitor general."

The Alberta Building Trades Council said in a press release last week that the errors surrounding the compensation of the widow of Ge Genbao, one of the workers killed at the Horizon project, highlights the need for a federal government enquiry.

"A public enquiry will allow us to sort through the myriad of issues, so that we can have a proper level of qualification, standards and enforcement," said Ron Harry, executive director of the building council.

"A public enquiry will expose the flaws in the program and make recommendations that will rectify the conditions that workers face coming into Alberta."

Journal of Commerce, Mon June 30 2008
Byline: Richard Gilbert

The electricians' trade union in Alberta is screening some new immigrants because of concerns over certification.

Some Chinese immigrants are seeking high-paying employment on oilsands projects as electricians, but the union doesn't trust the federal government's regulation of Red Seal qualifications.

"People from outside Canada come for a better life. They go to Ontario and say they were qualified as electricians and are allowed to challenge the provincial Red Seal," said Tim Brower, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 424.

Most of immigrant workers are qualified electricians, who write the electricians trade exams in Ontario and trade in their certificates for the equivalent document in Alberta.

However, an increasing number of the workers obtained their diplomas without gaining the proper experience.

According to the union, some of these newly ticketed electricians have never been trained properly.

"Some of these people are good and have qualifications. Some people have never been qualified or on a construction site in their lives," he said.

The Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology confirmed that they have suspended the acceptance of all industrial electrician certificates issued from outside Alberta.

"There was criticism of certified industrial engineers coming in from Ontario," said Donna McColl, assistant director of communication with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology.

"Questions were asked about the qualifications of some folks on the job site. The Red Seal certification was obtained in Ontario from a certain organization and that organization is currently under investigation."

According to Brower, there is a company in Ontario that teaches people to challenge the provincial Red Seal exam, with the help of an interpreter.

However, after these electricians are hired, they no longer have the assistance of an interpreter.

For some of these workers, it also became clear that they were not qualified construction electricians.

"The school in Ontario was training people to challenge the exam and giving them a road map to Alberta," he said.

In response to the situation, the IBEW is checking the references and the work histories of Chinese and Indian immigrants, before they obtain jobs in the Alberta oilsands.

"We have always trusted the government to make sure that a high standard is maintained, but we can't trust the government anymore," said Brower.

"We have to make sure they are qualified electricians. There is a safety concern here, because we don't want anybody to get injured."

The province is more strict about certification.

"Alberta has more stringent pre-screening and follow up on credentials," said Brower. "They can't challenge the Red Seal with an interpreter who is qualified in that trade."

McColl said that the matter is still under investigation, but the ministry has been holding all applications for equivalency for the industrial electrician since February.

However, this move is not enough for some.

"The government has stopped issuing equivalencies, but they are still not going out looking for people to disqualify," said Brower, who added he believes there could already be hundreds of unqualified people working in the province.

A spokesman for the Alberta Federation of Labour said that this problem may extend to other trades.

"The provincial government is only stepping in to stop certification from out of province for the electrical trades," said Gil McGowan, AFL president.

"They are not doing it for the other trades. I have a serious concern about these type of outfits that are diploma mills. They are not giving workers the skills needed on the work sites, but just show them how to pass the Red Seal certification exam."

McGowan said he wants every provincial government in Canada to crack down quickly on these schools, because they undermine the system of trade evaluation and certification.

Journal of Commerce, Mon Jun 30 2008
Byline: Richard Gilbert

EDMONTON - Some abuse of foreigners working temporarily in Alberta is unavoidable because of conditions in their home countries, Alberta's minister of Employment and Immigration said Wednesday.

Hector Goudreau was reacting to news that up to 120 Chinese workers were paid a fraction of what they were owed for work building tanks at a northern Alberta oilsands site.

The concerns became public only after two of those workers were killed on the job. When their widows were contacted in China, the wages they said their husbands were taking home were less than 12 per cent of what they should have been paid.

Further research showed the correct amount was paid into each employee's bank account, but disappeared before it reached families in China.

"It appears that SSEC (the Canadian arm of the Chinese employer) at some point failed to live up to obligations to its workers," Goudreau said.

"We cannot enforce payments or deduction agreements that are outside our jurisdiction."

Officials with Alberta Employment and Immigration have been investigating the Chinese company since shortly after the fatal accident.

"There may be some recommendations that come out of that investigation," Goudreau said. "Hopefully we can move forward."

David Liu, commercial consul at the Chinese consulate in Calgary, said late Wednesday he just learned the Alberta government is investigating. He said he will look into the matter and make sure the Chinese company is following the law.

"We just found out from the (news)paper," Liu said. "We're going to find out what the real situation is.

"Our government also pays a lot of attention to this kind of issue," Liu said, noting that the Chinese government enacted new labour laws that took effect Jan. 1.

A Calgary-based SSEC spokeswoman was contacted but refused comment.

Labour advocate Gil McGowan said the situation was one he had been warning about for the last two years.

Officials from oilsands company Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. said in 2006 that they were looking at hiring a Chinese contractor, complete with Chinese workers, to build a series of multi-storey tanks at the $10.8-billion Horizon oilsands project.

Labour advocates warned the use of temporary foreign workers would drive down domestic wages. This case shows Canadian contractors are at risk, said McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.

"How can a Canadian firm compete with a firm that is skimming wages off its own workers? The company was able to low-ball. I think they had every intention of clawing their wages back."

McGowan said he set up an advocacy centre for temporary foreign workers in May 2007 and has since opened 200 files for workers from Romania, the Philippines, Mexico and Pakistan.

He said that experience taught him how difficult it is for foreign workers to voice their concerns. No one should expect them to find and call the provincial government's 1-800 number, which is only answered in English, or speak to an investigator walking around on site.

All the workers who came for help worked in cities. They approached him with the help of churches or permanent Canadian residents with similar ethnic backgrounds.

"You can't underestimate how intimidated these workers feel," he said.

The Chinese workers on the Horizon oilsands site would have been in an even worse position because they were isolated physically in a work camp and socially because they were not integrated with the Canadian workforce.

"(Those Chinese workers) were still working in a one-party communist state. They're used to keeping their heads down and their mouths shut."

Rachel Notley, the NDP's employment critic, said government officials aren't doing enough to monitor the foreign-worker program.

"How could these people not getting their money have gone on this long without somebody noticing?" said Notley, a labour lawyer.

"Were (investigators) really doing the kind of oversight that they claim they were? I don't care if there's a third-party international company involved or not -- they work here, they should be paid here, and they should be getting all the rights that anybody working here gets, and it's the government's job to make sure that happens."

Edmonton Journal, Page A3, Thurs Jun 19 2008
Byline: Elise Stolte, with files from Jason Markusoff and Kelly Cryderman

EDMONTON, June 18 /CNW/ - 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. The AFL is responding to a news story in the Edmonton Journal today accounting how 120 workers brought from China were paid a fraction of what they should be paid.

"Murky Chinese contractors, vulnerable workers, a passive union, an indifferent employer and an absent provincial government," says AFL President Gil McGowan. "That adds up to exploitation. This situation could and should have been avoided."

McGowan points out that Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) and the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), a union that preaches collaboration and cooperation with employers, made huge mistakes in their rush to bring the Chinese TFWs into Alberta. CNRL should have insisted that it hire the workers directly, not through Sinopec, owned by the Chinese government, says McGowan.

"The first mistake was allowing the Chinese government to have direct access to these workers. CNRL had a responsibility to make sure they weren't exploited."

"And CLAC failed in its responsibility to these workers. No mainstream union would have permitted an arrangement like allowing an employer to have signing authority on worker bank accounts," says McGowan. "The AFL has affiliates that deal with TFWs, and they place stringent requirements on what the employer does with them, and they make every possible effort to build a relationship with the temporary workers - up to and including running English classes. CLAC made very little effort, it appears."

"The problem is that CLAC trusts employers too much, and it results in situations like this."

McGowan also points blame on the provincial government. "The government is asleep at the switch. They are doing nothing to monitor the working conditions of TFWs or to ensure that their rights are not being violated."

"The result is that the Conservatives are allowing the importation of third-world working conditions into Alberta."

"The problems that led to the Chinese workers being ripped off are the same conditions that led to the two Chinese workers being killed on the same worksite. Lax government oversight, a company in a rush to make billions in profits, and a union that doesn't ask enough questions are all to blame," McGowan concludes.

Energy News, Wed Jun 18 2008

Brian Mason is staying on as leader of the provincial New Democrats and the party will continue to go it alone, with more than 95 per cent of delegates at its weekend convention voting against a motion to unite with the Green Party or Alberta Liberals.

Mason was one of many members who spoke against such a move, which had been proposed by Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan.

"The membership saw, and quite rightly, that the proposal to form an electoral alliance with the Liberals and the Greens was not going to go anywhere," Mason said in an interview with the Gazette.

The NDP didn't want to sacrifice its principles of social justice and equality "for a misguided sense of political unity," Mason said.

"We're focused on building our party and building it into an alternative that can beat the Conservatives," he said.

But without a large-scale overhaul, "that's very unrealistic," said Grant MacEwan College political scientist Chaldeans Mensah.

While the NDP is a strong advocate for social democratic principles, most Albertans aren't "in tune" with its message and the party isn't likely to gain broad appeal unless it redefines itself, he said. "There's a bit of wishful thinking here. The NDP is basically maintaining a bit of a rigid ideological stand," Mensah said.

The party is acting like what is referred to in political science circles as an ideological or missionary party, which promotes its core principles without actually seeking to win power, he said.

"Unless the party finds a way of making a bold step of co-operating with other political forces to shape a new entity I think it's likely to remain a fringe party."

The NDP's decision was surprising given that the political climate presents an opportunity for opposition parties to reconfigure themselves to fill a "yearning in Alberta for a strong opposition," Mensah said. "We need bold steps to really shake up the system," he said, adding the decision opens up political space for the Alberta Liberals to broaden their appeal.

Mason admitted over the weekend that his party must open up to more Albertans.

Opposition parties were left reeling after the Conservatives won 72 of 83 seats in the March election. This saw the NDP seat count cut in half, from four to two, and the Liberals falling from 15 to nine. The results brought speculation about the leadership of both opposition parties.

Mason's leadership, however, went unchallenged at last weekend's convention and he said he intends to lead the party to a "much more successful outcome in the next election."

Liberal leader Kevin Taft will announce his future plans later this summer.

St. Albert Gazette, Page 18, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Byline: Cory Hare

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. The AFL is responding to a news story in the Edmonton Journal today accounting how 120 workers brought from China were paid a fraction of what they should be paid.

"Murky Chinese contractors, vulnerable workers, a passive union, an indifferent employer and an absent provincial government," says AFL President Gil McGowan. "That adds up to exploitation. This situation could and should have been avoided."

McGowan points out that Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) and the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), a union that preaches collaboration and cooperation with employers, made huge mistakes in their rush to bring the Chinese TFWs into Alberta. CNRL should have insisted that it hire the workers directly, not through Sinopec, owned by the Chinese government, says McGowan.

"The first mistake was allowing the Chinese government to have direct access to these workers. CNRL had a responsibility to make sure they weren't exploited."

"And CLAC failed in its responsibility to these workers. No mainstream union would have permitted an arrangement like allowing an employer to have signing authority on worker bank accounts," says McGowan. "The AFL has affiliates that deal with TFWs, and they place stringent requirements on what the employer does with them, and they make every possible effort to build a relationship with the temporary workers - up to and including running English classes. CLAC made very little effort, it appears."

"The problem is that CLAC trusts employers too much, and it results in situations like this."

McGowan also points blame on the provincial government. "The government is asleep at the switch. They are doing nothing to monitor the working conditions of TFWs or to ensure that their rights are not being violated."

"The result is that the Conservatives are allowing the importation of third-world working conditions into Alberta."

"The problems that led to the Chinese workers being ripped off are the same conditions that led to the two Chinese workers being killed on the same worksite. Lax government oversight, a company in a rush to make billions in profits, and a union that doesn't ask enough questions are all to blame," McGowan concludes.

- 30 -

For more information contact:

Gil McGowan, AFL President @ 780.483-3021 (office) or 780.218-9888 (cell)

Alberta NDP members overwhelmingly rejected Saturday a coalition with the Liberals and Greens, as all of the province's opposition parties ponder their political futures following crushing election defeats.

Gathering at a downtown Calgary hotel for their annual convention, a few hundred NDP members almost unanimously shot down a resolution that called for an electoral alliance with the Grits and Greens.

It would have seen the parties trade off candidates in some ridings to avoid vote splitting, in hopes of forming government and implementing proportional representation.

But a long line of NDP members -- including Leader Brian Mason -- spoke out against the proposal, arguing Liberal and Green supporters may look to the Tories before they vote for the NDP.

"It's clear and it's what I wanted," Mason said following the vote. "I wanted to move forward on revitalizing the NDP and building it into a party that can take on the Tories right across the province. This helps set the stage for that."

The rejection of the coalition was a blow to Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour. He supported the concept -- along with only a handful of others on the convention floor -- but the idea was fiercely rejected by many union members affiliated with the federation.

McGowan argued in a speech to NDP members that some major changes are needed within the party because it is "politically insignificant" in parts of Alberta.

"You can't start down the road to recovery until you admit you have a problem," he bluntly told the crowd. "The bottom line is seats."

Yet, the NDP's clear rejection of the coalition muddies the waters about where Alberta's opposition parties go from here.

Mason admitted the NDP must open itself up to new people and fresh ideas to make the party "relevant" to a larger number of Albertans.

"We certainly need to find new ways of doing things," he said. "Some of those ideas might be a little tough for us to swallow at first, but we need to put them on the table and seriously consider them."

The NDP boss -- who didn't face any contenders for a party leadership vote -- proposed a series of "revitalization" town hall meetings across the province in the fall and early next year, followed by a special convention to "hammer out a new approach and a new direction."

Mason's call for a new road map comes after the Progressive Conservatives captured 72 of 83 seats, and 53 per cent of the popular vote, in the March election, gutting the Liberals' and NDP's seat counts to nine and two, respectively.

It has all opposition parties scratching their heads, but the Greens and Grits also doubted that a coalition would achieve the desired goals. Rather, they're looking to engage more Albertans, after only 41 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots in the election.

"A major overhaul is needed," Liberal deputy leader Dave Taylor said Saturday. "We sometimes say things like 'Why don't the voters get us?' Maybe we're asking the wrong question. Why don't we get the voters?"

Taylor argued the only way a change in government is possible in the next election is if the opposition can convince Tory voters their interests are better served with other parties -- but also round up Albertans who don't vote for anyone.

Doing so may require some sort of new opposition party or possibly changing the name of the Liberal party, Taylor maintained, although he said the Grit brand isn't "toxic" in Alberta.

Alberta Greens Leader George Read said he's open to talk about a coalition party, but hasn't yet seen a realistic solution that would slow the Tory machine.

"I haven't seen any rubber hitting the road," he said.

Calgary Herald, Sun Jun 15 2008
Byline: Jason Fekete

EDMONTON _ The Alberta government is bracing for protests after introducing what critics are calling anti-union changes to the province's labour code.

Employment Minister Hector Goudreau has confirmed that extra sheriffs have been brought to the legislature this week in case of any unruly demonstrations.

The legislation bans strikes and lockouts for ambulance workers and prevents unions from subsidizing contract bids by unionized contractors competing with non-union firms.

The changes will also prevent union-supporting workers from joining a non-union company to kick start the process of unionizing the firm _ a practice known as salting.

NDP Leader Brian Mason says the legislation is an act of ''revenge'' for the union-sponsored attack ads used against Premier Ed Stelmach during the recent Alberta election campaign.

A spokesman for the Alberta Building Trades Council did not appear overly concerned by the legislation and says the practice of salting is nearly obsolete in the province.

But the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees reacted much more strongly, suggesting the legislation violates constitutional guarantees of freedom of association.

''This is what Conservatives do _ squeeze workers for the benefit of employers,'' federation president Gil McGowan said in a media release Monday.

''The Conservatives have long been anti-labour and this bill is their latest attempt to kick workers in the shins. They are simply using their new majority to exercise their anti-worker reflexes,'' he added.

McGowan also noted the bill has been timed to keep wages down during the province's economic boom.

Doug Knight of the provincial employees' union said the law ought to be changed so that there is one labour law for everyone, instead of the current system where there is a separate Public Service Employee Relations Act.

Knight said his union also wants other changes, like automatic certification without a vote when more than half the employees in a workplace sign union cards.

''Albertans are now seeing government that is willing to use its election majority to make drastic decisions behind closed doors,'' Knight said in a news release.

The EnergyNews.com, Wed Jun 11 2008