Urgent Action

Sign the Better Way Alberta petition

The Better Way Alberta coalition is urging the government to fix the province’s broken revenue system. And we’re asking you to sign our petition. Join the thousands of Albertans who have already signed, and help be part of the solution.

The Petition

We the undersigned residents of Alberta, petition the Legislative Assembly to ensure there is enough money to pay for necessary public services like education and health care by introducing tax and royalty reforms that include the following measures:

• increasing the tax on corporate profits to a rate that is closer to the national average;
• replacing Alberta’s flat income tax with a progressive tax that requires high-income earners to pay higher tax rates than middle and low-income earners;
• and introducing royalty changes that ensure Albertans receive a fair share from the sale of their resources.
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You can sign the petition online at www.BetterWayAlberta.ca or in person at the Alberta Federation of Labour offices (Parkington Plaza, #300, 10408 – 124 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5N 1R5).

News

Better Way Alberta campaign turns a mirror on Tory mismanagement

Over the next few weeks, voters will be hearing from the Better Way Alberta campaign, showing them that there are sensible, moderate measures that can help ensure the long-term financial stability of the province.

The province-wide campaign will consist of a central website and petition; a radio and online advertising campaign; a direct-mail campaign to every household in Alberta; and a door-to-door campaign in which canvassers will have face-to-face conversations with Albertans about the Better Way Alberta campaign.

 “Who created the current budget mess? It’s time for Premier Prentice and the Tories to look in the mirror,” says Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan. “We’re not facing a budget crunch because of anything individual Albertans did. The real problem is that successive PC governments have blown holes in the revenue base we need to fund education, health care and other services that Albertans rely on.”

According to the government’s own numbers, Alberta could increase the amount it gets from taxes by $11.6 billion a year and still have the lowest taxes in Canada. Most of that $11.6 billion that is going uncollected by Alberta’s inequitable tax code is being left in the pockets of the province’s richest individuals and most profitable corporations.

“If we’re all in this together, as Premier Prentice says, why should corporations and the wealthy get a free pass?” McGowan said. “And why should ordinary Albertans pay for the mistakes of politicians again?”

The campaign was created by a coalition of the Alberta Federation of Labour, United Nurses of Alberta, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Alberta Division). Visit www.betterwayalberta.ca for more information about the campaign, or to sign the petition calling on the government to reform its revenue system.

Looming Temporary Foreign Worker deportations highlight inhumanity of program

Thousands of vulnerable Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) are facing deportation.

On April 1^st, thousands of work permits will expire, and the workers who hold those permits will be forced to leave. They and their employers were not allowed to renew those work permits because the government tightened the rules on the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

“The Temporary Foreign Worker program needs to be reined in, but without affecting the workers who are already here,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “There should not be any more TFW permits for low-wage employers, but the workers who are already here should have been allowed to stay.”

There are more than 70,000 Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta. The province has the highest percentage of its workforce composed of Temporary Foreign Workers of any jurisdiction in the country. In particular, it is in Alberta where low-wage employers have made the most aggressive use of the program in an attempt to drive down wages.

Did you know…

• Even before the price of oil crashed, revenue generated from Alberta’s shrunken taxes on personal income and corporate profits covered only about 40 per cent of the cost of public services, compared to about 60 per cent in other provinces.

• Women working full-time only earned 63 per cent of the annual average salary their male counterparts earned in Alberta.

• Alberta’s spending is $9,786 per person on public services — $434 less than the national average, despite the fact that cost-of-living is higher here.

Events

• March 21:  International Day for the Elimination of Racism

• April 16-19: AFL Convention “Dream No Little Dreams”

• April 28: International Day of Mourning for Workers Injured or Killed on the Job

Better Way Alberta campaign offers Albertans solutions to government’s budget woes

Edmonton – A coalition of major public-sector unions is launching a $500,000 province-wide campaign aimed at saving public services from deep cuts, and encouraging the provincial government to address its budget woes by fixing the province’s broken revenue system.

 The Better Way Alberta campaign, which presents evidence that the government’s budget woes are caused by systemic problems in taxes and royalties, will be launched at an event today at the United Nurses of Alberta offices (Sixth Floor, 11150 Jasper Avenue), featuring the presidents of the Alberta Federation of Labour, United Nurses of Alberta, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Alberta Division).

“Premier Jim Prentice has said that Alberta’s budget is sinking, but if that’s true, it’s because his party has spent decades blowing holes in the revenue system that’s supposed to pay for the services on which Albertans rely,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “Instead of dealing with the problem, the premier has proposed a reckless nine-per-cent budget cut across the board. That will cause pain to everyday Albertans, put people out of work, and possibly deepen the economic turmoil the province is facing. There is a Better Way.”

What:                   Better Way Alberta press conference and launch

When:                  1 p.m. March 5 (TODAY)

Where:                United Nurses of Alberta offices, 6^th Floor, 11150 Jasper Ave. Edmonton

Who:                     Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan

                                United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith

                                Health Sciences Association of Alberta president Elisabeth Ballermann

                                Canadian Union of Public Employees (Alberta Division) president Marle Roberts

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.218.4351 (cell) or via e-mail [email protected]

Instead of cutting services, we need to end sweetheart deals for corporations and the wealthy, says Better Way Alberta campaign

Edmonton – In response to comments from Premier Jim Prentice blaming Albertans for the province’s budget woes, a coalition of major unions is launching a $500,000 province-wide campaign aimed at saving public services from deep cuts by urging the provincial government to fix its broken revenue system.

“Who created the current budget mess? It’s time for Premier Prentice and the Tories to look in the mirror,” says Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan.

“We’re not facing a budget crunch because of anything individual Albertans did. The real problem is that successive PC governments have blown holes in the revenue base we need to fund education, health care and other services that Albertans rely on.

“The premier wants to impose a reckless nine-per-cent budget cut. Cuts of that magnitude will devastate public services that are already stretched to the breaking point…and they won’t address the root causes.  The real solution is to reverse years and years of irresponsible tax and royalty giveaways to profitable corporations and the wealthy.”

The Better Way Alberta campaign’s home is www.betterwayalberta.ca. On the site, Albertans can explore the various ways in which the provincial government has destroyed the revenue system, and given away billions of dollars to big corporations and to very wealthy individuals.

“The premier is trying to blame the looming deficit on nurses, teachers, janitors, secretaries—the people who work hard every day for the citizens of the province—when the problem was really caused by irresponsible tax and royalty giveaways.” McGowan said. “He’s trying to spin a tale that the province isn’t frugal enough, when the truth is that Alberta is in the middle of the pack when it comes to how much it spends on public services. We spend a little more per person than Nova Scotia, and a little less than New Brunswick.”

The province-wide campaign will consist of a central website and petition; a radio and online advertising campaign; a direct-mail campaign to every household in Alberta; and a door-to-door campaign in which canvassers will have face-to-face conversations with Albertans about the Better Way Alberta campaign. The coalition is also considering townhall meetings and rallies.

“Poll after poll shows that Albertans understand there is a better way to approach revenues,” McGowan said. “They’re willing to look at how this province pays for services. But successive premiers have done nothing but cut. To his credit, Premier Prentice has said he’s willing to talk about revenues and ‘put everything on the table.’ But if he’s serious about that, why has he ruled out increasing royalties and taxes on corporations and the wealthy? It sounds like the more of the same from an un-reformed Tory: perks for their friends and pain for everyone else.”

According to the government’s own numbers, Alberta could increase the amount it gets from taxes by $11.6 billion a year and still have the lowest taxes in Canada. Most of that $11.6 billion that is going uncollected by Alberta’s inequitable tax code is being left in the pockets of the province’s richest individuals and most profitable corporations.

“If we’re all in this together, as Premier Prentice says, why should corporations and the wealthy get a free pass?” McGowan said. “And why should ordinary Albertans pay for the mistakes of politicians again?”

If the Prentice government imposes a nine per cent cut, Alberta will end up spending less on public services than much poorer provinces, even as its population continues to boom. Albertans will have to deal with larger class sizes, more over-crowded hospitals and even longer waits for new infrastructure.  Economists also agree that government cuts will likely tip the whole economy into recession.

“Oil prices go up and down. Albertans know that, and their government should know that by now,” McGowan said. “But every time there’s a slight downturn, government takes aim at public servants, rather than planning for the long term, budgeting better, and fixing the holes in the province’s revenue system.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.218.4351 (cell) or via e-mail [email protected]

Better Way Alberta press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Edmonton – Because the government has scheduled a press conference at 1 p.m., and many reporters cannot make it to our press conference, we will host a second press conference at 2 p.m.

What:              Better Way Alberta press conference and launch

When:              1 p.m. and 2 p.m. March 5

Where:             United Nurses of Alberta offices, 6^th Floor, 11150 Jasper Ave. Edmonton

Who:                Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan
United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith
Health Sciences Association of Alberta president Elisabeth Ballermann
Canadian Union of Public Employees (Alberta Division) president Marle Roberts

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.218.4351 (cell) or via e-mail [email protected]

EDMONTON – Despite months of protests, and despite all opposition parties uniting against the proposals, the Government is moving forward on controversial public‐sector pension legislation today.

The union leaders representing the vast majority of the workers who will be affected by the legislation will be on hand at the Legislature Rotunda today at 3:00 p.m. to show their opposition to the legislation that is being debated. The legislative session is expected to go late into the evening as opposition MLAs try to impede the legislation.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.289.6528 (cell) or via e-mail [email protected]

Frontline public employees are rallying today at multiple locations throughout Alberta to defend their modest pensions against imposed cuts to their retirement savings unilaterally introduced by the Redford Government.

“Nobody voted on these cuts,” Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan said on behalf of the Labour Coalition on Pensions. “By breaking the promise it made to frontline public employees, the Redford Government is sending the message that no one can trust the agreements it makes.”

Before imposing big changes, McGowan said, the Redford government should engage in negotiations with frontline public employees so solutions everyone can live with can be agreed upon.

The average public-sector pension in Alberta is only about $14,000 per year, and it’s troubling that the government is increasing pensions for senior managers and other insiders at the same time as it cuts the pensions of frontline workers.

McGowan said imposed pension cuts will make it more difficult for hospitals, schools, universities and other public-sector employers to find and keep skilled and dedicated frontline employees – something sure to have an impact on the quality of public services in Alberta.

“The Redford Government’s most recent public announcements make it sound like they’re backing down, but they’re continuing to break their promise to these frontline workers by imposing pension cuts rather than negotiating them,” McGowan said.

As a result, affected workers are rallying over lunchtime throughout the province today at multiple worksites in Edmonton, St. Albert, Calgary, Hinton, Red Deer, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Peace River and Camrose.

Informal smaller-scale activities are expected near many other public-sector worksites throughout the province.

Senior elected officers of the major Alberta public-sector unions will be available at all sites for interviews with media.

Marle Roberts, President of Canadian Union of Public Employees Alberta Division, will attend the rally at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton

Elisabeth Ballermann, President of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, will attend the rally at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton

Heather Smith, President of the United Nurses of Alberta, will attend the rally at Red Deer Regional Hospital

Guy Smith, President of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, will attend a rally at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary

Gil McGowan, President of the Alberta Federation of Labour will attend a rally at University Hospital in Edmonton

MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.289.6528 (cell) or via e-mail [email protected]

New analysis reveals truth about Alberta’s shrinking pension liability

EDMONTON – The unfunded liability of Alberta’s public-sector pension plans is already a billion dollars smaller than Finance Minister Doug Horner claims.

For the past six months, the Redford government has defended its plan to cut benefits for public-sector workers by pointing to the $7.4 billion unfunded liability attached to Alberta’s four provincial pension plans.

Finance Minister Doug Horner has repeated the figure at every opportunity. He has said that if nothing is done, the liability will only grow – and that, even if his cuts are implemented – it will take 30 years for the unfunded liability to disappear.

But what if Horner got his numbers wrong? What if the unfunded liability is not as big as the minister says it is and that it’s shrinking, rather than growing?

As it turns out, that’s exactly what’s happening.

Today, the unions involved in the Labour Coalition on Pensions, representing most of the 300,000 people covered by Alberta’s public sector plan, released a new report showing what the unfunded liability looks like today, as opposed to the two-year-old figures used by the Finance Minister.

The report, prepared by the independent actuarial firm George & Bell, shows that after factoring in the last two years of investment returns, the unfunded liability has dropped by about a billion dollars.

This supports the actuary’s earlier conclusion that the plans are on their way to eliminating their unfunded liabilities in seven years – even without any cuts to the benefit that workers paid for themselves.

Here’s what some of the presidents involved in the Labour Coalition on Pensions had to say about the new report from George & Bell:

“What the report shows is that the Redford government’s plan for pension cuts is built on a foundation of misinformation. They’re using phony numbers to justify a plan that is really unjustifiable.”
Gil McGowan, Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL)

 “Yesterday, they played games with budget numbers. Today, it’s clear they’ve been playing games with pension numbers. How can Albertans trust anything this government says?”
Heather Smith, United Nurses of Alberta (UNA)

 “It’s important for people to understand that the $7.4 billion unfunded liability was a reflection of the health our pension plans in the immediate aftermath of the global recession. The new actuarial report shows that the situation is rapidly improving with the strategies the LAPP board of trustees has put in place.”
Elisabeth Ballermann, Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA)

 “The minister has to stop using the $7.4 billion figure. It’s a misleading snapshot that’s two years out of date.”
Marle Roberts, Canadian Union of Public Employees (Alberta)

“The Minister and the Premier are using numbers they know are wrong to justify their plan to break promises made to nearly 300,000 Alberta workers and retirees. This isn’t just bad accounting, it’s deceitful politics.”
Guy Smith, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)

December 31, 2013 Projection of Financial Positions: Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) and Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.289.6528 (cell) or via e-mail [email protected]

Edmonton – Expressing their grave concern about the still-unknown contents of the Alberta government’s pension policy announcement tomorrow, the presidents of Alberta’s four largest public service unions and the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) said today that their members’ retirement savings plans are sustainable, affordable, modest and fair.

There is a crisis in retirement savings for middle class Canadians, “but it is not the crisis that has been cooked up by right-wing lobby groups,” said the joint statement by Health Sciences Association of Alberta president Elisabeth Ballermann, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Guy Smith, United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith and Canadian Union of Public Employees Alberta president Marle Roberts.

“The real crisis is the retirement security disaster faced by tens of thousands, possibly millions, of middle-class taxpayers in Alberta and throughout Canada who don’t have workplace pensions,” said their statement (see attached), read by AFL president Gil McGowan in front of Government House, where Alberta Finance Minister Doug Horner will make his pension announcement tomorrow.

“The solution to the real retirement crisis is staring us in the face,” the four union leaders said. “It is not to attack the retirement savings of working Canadians or to raise the age at which they can retire, but to provide a fair publicly administered pension plan for all.”

The joint statement on pensions emphasized the sustainability of all of Alberta’s current public service pension plans. “As we speak, thanks to the contributions made by plan members, these plans are returning to full funding, where they stood in the 1990s.”

The contributions made by members and employers represent savings from members’ pay, the leaders noted, adding that payouts to members tend to be very modest – the average yearly pension paid to members of the PSPP is currently $12,414 and the average pension paid to members of the LAPP is $14,958.

“These modest retirement incomes constitute the life savings of plan members,” the statement said. “They are a huge benefit to the Alberta economy because most of the retirement income of middle class Albertans is spent right here in our own Alberta communities.”

The leaders expressed their concern that, pushed by aggressive lobbying by right-wing groups, there is a risk the pensions of approximately 300,000 of their members and former members may become a political football for a government that feels the need to re-establish its conservative image to confront the Wildrose Party Opposition.

None of the stakeholder groups representing plan members – who are technically supposed to be equal partners in the plan – have been informed of what Horner intends to announce tomorrow to the public, media and plan participants.

Horner’s stakeholder meeting is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, September 16 at Government House.

AFL Backgrounder: Labour Coalition on Pensions Backgrounder

MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.289.6528 (cell)
or via e-mail [email protected]

Unions Stand Up for Majority of Albertans

In the lead up to Alberta’s 2013 budget, Alberta’s public sector unions worked together to advance the interests of the majority of Albertans.

The Alberta Federation of Labour, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Alberta Teachers’ Association, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, United Nurses of Alberta and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta presented a united front against austerity policies and draconian cuts.

Polling, conducted by Environics in advance of the provincial budget showed that more than 70 per cent of Albertans reject public service cuts. More than three quarters of those polled agreed that there should be an increase on taxes for wealthy Albertans and for corporations. The majority of Albertans believe that the province should be investing more in health care, education and other services.

“Albertans aren’t as conservative as Alison Redford seems to believe,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “She needs to listen better. Not to the radical tea party Tories, but to the majority of Albertans who are quietly progressive, and who want this province to be healthy and prosperous.”

LINK TO AUDIO

LINK TO PRESS RELEASE

STRIKE! The Musical

The Alberta Federation of Labour is proud to be bringing STRIKE! The Musical to Edmonton for its Alberta premiere.

This award-winning theatrical production, which tells the story of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, will be at the Timms Centre for the Performing Arts April 24 – April 28.

“When I saw Strike! three years ago in Winnipeg, I knew we needed to bring it to Alberta,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “The 100^th anniversary of the AFL was the perfect opportunity to organize this production. It’s an important story about the history of Canadian labour, and it’s one that inspires pride in the activism and work that our member unions do.”

For more information or to order tickets, please visit www.strikemusical.com

Solidarity with Post-Secondary Education

More than 500 students, workers, educators and activists marched on the legislature on March 15.

The rally, which was organized by the Coalition for Action on Post-Secondary Education, was protesting the massive cuts the Alberta Government imposed on universities and colleges throughout the province. The University of Alberta faces a 7.2 per cent cut.

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan spoke at the rally, noting that the province’s economy depends on having a quality education system.

Urgent Action

Join us at the AFL’s 9th Biennial Convention

More than 500 labour activists, leaders and delegates will gather at the Shaw Conference Centre in downtown Edmonton from April 25 – 28 for the Alberta Federation of Labour’s 9^th Biennial Convention.

The convention, which has the theme “Unions Stand on Guard for Thee,” will examine how the labour movement has helped create, and protect the prosperous, inclusive society of which Canadians are rightfully proud.

Coming from all corners of Alberta, delegates will celebrate the achievements of unions, hear from dozens of speakers, and help chart the direction of our further growth.

Registration starts Wednesday, April 24 and continues on Thursday, April 25.

2013 AFL Convention runs Thursday, April 25, 2013 - Sunday, April 28, 2013.

Convention Committees meet Wednesday, April 24.

AFL Council meets Tuesday, April 23.

Convention venue is the Shaw Conference Centre
Convention hotel is the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe

Location:  Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton
Contact:  Maureen Werlin at [email protected] or 780-483-3021

Events

April 28 – International Day of Mourning for Dead and Injured Workers

May 1 – May Day March

May 3 – Deadline to register for Summer Labour School

June 14 - Deadline to register AFL Kids Camp

Did you know ...

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  After production and development costs are factored in, Alberta only collects 54 per cent of the the excess profit from heavy oil production. By comparison, Norway collects 80 per cent, Russia collects 73 per cent and Angola collects 71 per cent.
• Once ravaged by debt and war, higher oil royalties have helped Angola turn a budget deficit of 8.6 per cent of GDP in 2009 into a surplus of 12 per cent of GDP in 2012.
• Alberta has the highest pay gap in Canada. Alberta women working full year and full time earn a median 68 per cent of what men earn. The pay gap is reduced for women in unions – to about 85 per cent of what men earn.
• According to Environics polling conducted in February, 77 per cent of Albertans support increased taxes on corporations and those making more than $200,000.

Labour leaders are expressing grave concerns about dozens of city roads revealed by the Sun to contain toxic asbestos.

And while city officials claim there is no public danger, they say they will be doing more safety testing to ensure the dangerous material isn't released into the air during construction.

A report prepared for the city and obtained by the Sun measured core samples from 34 roads in March and found the majority, including some major roads, contained levels of asbestos, a now-banned mineral that was commonly used in asphalt prior to 1985 and has been linked to serious health risks if inhaled.

With the city continuing its practice of using recycled asphalt containing asbestos when it prepares new material for road surfacing, a steady chorus of those demanding answers is beginning to arise from both union leaders and elected officials.

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, said asbestos has caused more workplace fatalities than any other contaminant -- and he's stunned at the city's cavalier attitude toward its continued use of recycled asphalt and lack of safety measures employed.

"It's simply unconscionable if the city doesn't take greater efforts to take this stuff out of circulation," he said.

"I can't understand why the bureaucrats in Calgary city hall are not taking this situation more seriously."

"The bottom line is asbestos is a killer and this is a public health and safety issue that needs to be addressed."

McGowan said some 80 deaths in Alberta last year were officially attributed to asbestos, which can cause a number of severe lung problems, including scarring and cancer, many of which aren't diagnosed for years.

He suggested Calgary should follow Toronto's lead and insist that road workers milling asbestos-laden streets wear protective hazardous material suits, wet down asphalt to keep dust to a minimum and warn nearby residents the toxic substance could be airborne.

The president of Calgary's outside workers, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 37 boss Kevin Galley, said he will be calling on the city to see any reports it has done related to asbestos and wants to work with officials to ensure those who may be exposed to the material won't have their health threatened.

"What I'm going to do is request copies of any reports they've done and see what we need to do to make sure workers are safe," he said.

"If there are any concerns I'm sure the city will be taking steps to address them."

Calgary's director of roads, Mac Logan, said the city began testing for asbestos after one of its contractors, Volker-Stevin, found traces of asbestos in their laboratory and raised concerns.

But air quality monitoring around sites where roadwork is under way has suggested there is little risk to workers or the public that any dangerous levels of asbestos are likely to be inhaled, he said.

"None of our testing indicates it is airborne -- in fact we're going to go and do some more testing, but so far we haven't seen anything to indicate there's a public health risk here," Logan said, noting there will be air quality testing next week.

"What we're seeing through the research that's being done across North America is when you mill the road it doesn't necessarily release it to become airborne -- it's coated in oil, it's quite heavy and it bonds very well to the oil."

He noted the city can either reuse old asphalt or take it to the landfill but has opted to continue the practice of recycling road material because it's a better option and it's safe.

Logan said the city is also looking at its inventory of roads to determine those built prior to 1985 to better determine which areas may include asbestos in the asphalt.

Earlier this week, Toronto city officials issued warnings to residents that road work was being done in the borough of North York in surfaces that contained trace elements of asbestos.

Due to stringent regulations by Ontario's ministry of labour, any road work being done with asphalt containing asbestos requires workers to wear hazardous material suits, wet down pavement to keep dust under control and recommend the public close doors and windows and avoid the area during construction.

Bill Mason, the City of Toronto's superintendent of technical operations in the Etobicoke-York district, said while they are complying with the legislation that requires safety precautions any time a concentration of more than 0.5% of asbestos is found at a job site, they are hoping the regulations will be softened.

He said air quality testing around road work sites have shown no dangerous levels of asbestos have been generated and there will likely be more samples taken next week.

"The city is being diligent, they're working with the ministry of labour and they have come up with guidelines for the removal of (asbestos) in urban centres," Mason said.

"We're following those guidelines despite the fact we have done air quality and air monitoring on trials last year after this came to light that showed there wasn't any asbestos risk."

But with so many doubts about the long-term effects of exposure to asbestos, McGowan said the city should err on the side of caution and ensure workers and the public are safe.

"Asbestos is a killer and it continues to kill even years after the ban," he said.

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ABOUT ASBESTOS

Asbestos is a mineral fibre that has been used in a variety of construction materials.

Elevated concentrations of airborne asbestos can occur after asbestos-containing materials are disturbed by cutting, sanding or other remodelling activities.

Asbestos poses health risks when fibres are present in the air people breathe.

How exposure to asbestos can affect you depends on:

- The concentration of asbestos fibres in the air around you.

-How long the exposure to asbestos fibres has lasted.

- How often you were exposed.

- The size of the asbestos fibres inhaled.

- The amount of time since the initial exposure.

Calgary Sun, Page 4, Sat July 19 2008
Byline: Shawn Logan