ALF V1

Analysis shows unfunded liability getting smaller by about $1 billion

EDMONTON – Alberta’s public-sector pension plans are getting healthier, despite what Finance Minister Doug Horner claims.

Analysis by independent actuarial firm George & Bell shows the unfunded liability of Alberta’s two main public-sector pension plans has shrunk, meaning the plans are growing stronger without government meddling.

Leaders of Alberta's Public-Sector Unions will be available for comment today at 1:15 p.m. at the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) offices (#700-11150 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton).

MEDIA CONTACT:

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

Labour Coalition on Pensions - Open Letter to LAPP Members - March 6, 2014

Government puts itself on “collision course” with workers

Edmonton – Today’s provincial budget is a flawed document designed around false economies and myths about public-sector workers.

During his budget speech, the Finance Minister Doug Horner argued that public-sector wages should be “competitive” with those in the private sector – completely ignoring the fact that Statistics Canada data shows that public-sector wages are statistically indistinguishable.

“As a result of this approach to budgeting, the government is putting itself on a collision course with workers,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “Public-sector workers earn on average the same as their counterparts in the private sector. But this government has workers in the crosshairs – whether it’s attacking their pensions or their wages.”

The minister took aim at pension plans during his speech, insinuating that the plans needed drastic changes to keep them as defined-benefit plans – completely ignoring the fact that independent actuaries have confirmed that the unfunded liabilities of the two largest pension plans, the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) and the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP), are shrinking, and will be paid off by 2025.

“This is a budget based on two big lies, and they’re big lies that are disrespectful to workers in health care, in education, in law enforcement and in every part of the public service,” McGowan said. “The facts are that public-sector worker compensation is on par with the private sector, and their pensions are modest, sustainable and stable.”

The budget, which includes plenty of spending on capital projects, does not have much allocated to maintaining the services that Albertans value. The Minister proudly trumpets how they’re ‘holding the line,’ on public-sector wages, ignoring how much those wages have been falling behind inflation. By comparison, wages in the private sector are going up on average three to five per cent each year.

“I’m concerned because this is a burning-bridges budget. It’s a budget that sets the stage for tension with labour, it sets the stage for employees looking for jobs elsewhere, and it sets the stage for costly court battles,” McGowan said.

“I might say that it sets the stage for labour strife, but they’ve made it illegal for me to suggest such a thing.”

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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]

Rally at the Leg to defend pensions 

The Redford Government has proposed costly and irresponsible changes to your pension plan.  Make your voice heard on the first day of the new Legislative sessions.

For more information on the proposed government changes visit www.truthaboutalbertapensions.ca.

ACTION: RALLY at the Opening of the Legislative session today (bring your bannners and signs).  Let's send a message to the Redford government.

WHEN:   Monday, March 3, 2014

EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Alison Redford was named the winner of a “Political Academy Award” this afternoon for her remarkable promise-breaking performance persuading so many Albertans she would fight to protect their right to a secure retirement.

“When Ms. Redford said she wanted Alberta seniors to be able to live their lives with dignity and respect, who could have imagined she would attack the modest pensions of her own government’s employees,” asked Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan, speaking on behalf of the Labour Coalition on Pensions.

The mock “Oscar” award ceremony in Churchill Square during which Premier Redford was also nominated for convincing Albertans she would protect their public health care system and for convincing them she would protect their public education system may have been light-hearted, but it had a serious point.

“The point was that the Progressive Conservative government is breaking promises to many groups of Albertans and attacking public services that Albertans value,” McGowan said. “What incredible acting skill it took for them to get elected!”

The judges picked the premier’s broken pension promise because her government is consistently doing the opposite of what it claims to be trying to achieve.

• It says its policy on public sector pensions is designed to make the plans sustainable, while the report of the Auditor General of Alberta says it in fact puts the survival of the plans at risk
• It says it wants to encourage inter-generational fairness while it in fact it intends to treat younger workers much worse in future
• It says it wants to encourage recruitment and retention of the best public employees in government and health care, while it is in fact likely to prompt a serious skill shortage in those fields as workers rush to depart

Premier Redford did not attend the ceremony. Her award was accepted on her behalf of the thousands of Albertans who voted for her party thinking she would deal fairly with public employees, all Albertans and our public services.

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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]

What: "Oscar" ceremony for political performances at public employees' rally

When: 2 p.m., Sunday, March 2, 2014

Where: Churchill Square, downtown Edmonton

Why: To award the "Political Academy Award" for best acting in a political leadership role

Who: Hundreds of public-sector employees

Three promise-breaking Redford performances nominated for political "Oscar"

EDMONTON – Three promise-breaking performances by Alberta Premier Alison Redford are eligible to win the "Oscar" for "Best Actor in a Political Leadership Role" at a special public ceremony in Edmonton Sunday.

Participants in the March 2 outdoor public "Political Academy Awards" ceremony in Churchill Square will learn which of the premier's starring performances in Alberta political theatre won the award shortly after 2 p.m.

Ms. Redford's performances have been nominated for:

• Convincing Albertans she would protect their public health care system

• Convincing Albertans she would protect their public education system

• Convincing Albertans she would protect their retirement plans

Despite extremely cold temperatures, hundreds of Albertans are expected to attend the event, sponsored by the Labour Coalition on Pensions.

"Yes, it will be cold, but no colder than the hearts of Progressive Conservative politicians who would put valued public services and promises to hard-working employees at risk," said Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan on behalf of coalition members.

Media are encouraged to dress warmly and attend the ceremony.

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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]

RALLY FOR RETIREMENT FAIRNESS
2:00 PM, SUNDAY, MARCH 2
FIGHT FOR THE PENSION YOU PAID FOR!

The Redford government is trying to dictate pension plan changes without negotiation. If this goes ahead, it will break the pension promise made with thousands of Albertans. On March 2, at 2:00 p.m. join us in Churchill Square in Edmonton to make your voice heard.

Action Requested:

Turn out to the RALLY on Sunday, March 2nd at 2:00 p.m.

Stand up and make your voice heard. Hundreds of concerned Albertans will be gathering in Sir Winston Churchill Square for lively and family-friendly rally.

Come for live music, coffee, hot chocolate and popcorn.

Most importantly, come to send a clear message to the Redford Government that pension promises cannot be broken!

When: Sunday, March 2, 2014 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square

Questions: For more information on the proposed government changes, visit www.truthaboutalbertapensions.ca

For more information on the RALLY on SUNDAY, contact the Alberta Federation of Labour at 780-483-3021.

Government meets behind closed doors while making decisions about worker-funded pensions without negotiation

Edmonton – The elected leaders of some of Alberta’s largest unions staged a mock negotiating session in -25°C weather today to illustrate their point that the Redford government has refused to negotiate changes to provincial pension plans with people who actually contribute to those plans.

The mock negotiating session was held outside Government House where provincial Finance Minister Doug Horner was conducting a behind-closed-doors session with provincially-appointed pension board trustees to tell them about the government’s latest plans for pension changes.

“We’ve been asking for face-to-face negotiations for months now,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “But the Redford government seems determined to dictate, not negotiate.”

“They’re taking the same bullying, ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ approach to pensions that they took with Bill 46 and wage settlements for public-sector workers. It’s an approach that poisons relationships and leads to bad outcomes. It’s also an approach that breaks the law. These guys clearly have learned nothing from the court injunction imposed on Bill 46.”

“The frigid temperatures are appropriate because the Minister and the government have really left public sector workers and retirees out in the cold,” United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith said.

Health Sciences Association of Alberta president Elisabeth Ballermann pointed out that the Labour Coalition on Pensions, a coalition of unions with about 150,000 members in the Local Authorities Pension Plan, has sent letters to the Minister asking for formal negotiations, all to no avail.

“To date, we’ve had no reply to our requests,” she said. “The minister won’t even meet with us, let alone negotiate. How can he justify changing something as important as a pension plan without negotiating with the representatives of the people who pay the freight and who will have to live with the consequences?”

Marle Roberts, president of the Canadians Union of Public Employees (Alberta Division), pointed out that the unions made it clear in December that they were willing to negotiate changes to address the government’s stated goal of improving pension sustainability.

“We put together a list of costed proposals that we think would go a long way to improving the long-term sustainability of the plan. But instead of looking at our proposals and negotiating, the government has chosen to impose a settlement. In September, we were disappointed; in January we were frustrated; now we’re outraged by the government’s refusal to talk.”

At the mock negotiating session, the labour leaders distributed copies of the letters they had sent to Horner asking for negotiations and copies of the negotiating document they had sent to the government outlining the labour movement’s proposals for reform – proposals that could have been discussed in negotiations, if any had taken place.

Supporting Documents:

2014 Labour Coalition on Pensions_Ltr to Horner_2014Feb21

2014 Labour Coalition on Pensions_Ltr to Horner_2014Feb3

2013 Costing of Plan Changes LAPP and PSPP_Final

MEDIA CONTACT:

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