Alberta Federation of Labor

Running Head: ALBERTA FEDERATION OF LABOR 1
Alberta Federation of Labor
Name
Institution
Tutor
Date of Submission

ALBERTA FEDERATION OF LABOR 2
Introduction
Alberta Federation of Labor (AFL) is a trade union in the province of Alberta that was
founded in the year 1912. Its main office is located in Edmonton, Alberta. The underlying reason
why AFL was established was to fight for the rights of the mining workers and the tradespeople
in Alberta. At the time (1911), the mining workers and tradespeople in Alberta’s coal fields were
facing unfavorable working conditions with high mortality rates being reported (Dempsey,
2010). When the people of Lethbridge demanded for the establishment of safety regulations and
occupational health guidelines, the response was formation of the Alberta Federation of Labor. It
is made up of moderate unionists such as skilled craft unions and radical unionists usually
coming from semi-skilled and skilled ranks (Finkel, 2012). With approximately 170, 000
members from several organizations, it has been able to represent it employees satisfactorily. For
instance, in connection with organizations such as Trades and Labor Congress (TLC), American
Federation of Labor, and Workers’ International Union, AFL was able to fight for the welfare of
the employees.
Significant events in the life of AFL union
Since the formation of AFL in 1912, it has encountered some events that has been
influential in the growth of the union. One major event happened in 1951 when AFL became
allies with the Oil Workers’ International Union (OWIU). Before this, AFL had experienced stiff
competition from other unions such as the One Big Union (OBU), Civil Service Association of
Alberta (CSA), Mine Workers Union of Canada (MWUC), and United Packinghouse Workers of
America (UPWA) (Laroche & Dufour-Poirier, 2017). Its association with the OWIU and later
with unions such as the Communications, Energy & Paper workers’ and Oil Chemical & Atomic
Workers was a relief. As a result, by the year 1955, it had increased its membership to over 8,

ALBERTA FEDERATION OF LABOR 3
000 with many employees working in packaging houses, steel plants, mines, railway and energy
companies.
Another major event of the union is the historical interaction of the AFL union with the
political parties in Canada. It all started in 1960s to 1990s. The support they got from the New
Democratic Party gave them a voice to air their grievances. The union was able to carry out
strikes and demonstrations without fear as they aired the injustices their workers faced (Choudry
& Thomas, 2013). Through this, a collective bargaining power was established for every
government worker. Another significant event was in 2014, when the union faced a fine of $ 50,
000 from the Canadian Television and Radio Commission. This was as a result of violation of
rules set by the provincial election robocalls.
These events had tremendous impact on the organization. For instance, the first two
events made the union grow, it became popular in Canada, and the members increased as well. It
gained access to the political arena whereby it could table the issues affecting their employees
and get an almost immediate response. The lives of their members, therefore, improved as the
government supported the union in offering a conducive working environment and better pay for
the workers. However, the last event and a negative impact on the union as they incurred a huge
loss when they were fined. Nevertheless, the union has vowed to fight for their workers and
bring justice in the workplace.
Current issues facing the union
AFL is facing several issues that make it have a rough time while carrying out its
mandate. The major one being experiencing conflicts with the government. The top officials of
the AFL claim that the government has placed several restrictions and regulations that affect