The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) said a campaign is needed to counter the dangerous, misleading efforts made by the government to pull out of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). “We need a ‘remain’ campaign — a campaign to keep Alberta in the Canada Pension Plan,” said AFL President Gil McGowan in a Thursday speech at the United Nurses of Alberta Annual General Meeting. An Alberta Pension Plan (APP) could save Albertans billions of dollars each year, with lower contribution rates, higher benefits and stronger benefit security for families and retirees, according to a September 21 report conducted by LifeWorks. READ MORE: UPDATED: Report says Alberta provincial pension move could save people billions“This report shows a made-in-Alberta pension plan could put more money in the pockets of hard-working families and business owners and improve retirement security for seniors,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. “We want to hear from you because it’s your pension, your choice.”McGowan said the campaign “needs to come from Alberta, not Ottawa.” He added it needs to be Albertans who lead the charge. He delivered the AFL’s commitment to act as a catalyst and convenor for the campaign after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Smith he would not stand by if she enacted the APP. Trudeau said on Wednesday he was concerned about Smith’s proposal to withdraw Alberta from the CPP. He instructed his cabinet and officials to do whatever they can to ensure it remains intact, warning its exit could cause serious harm. Since Alberta is contemplating the move, he said Canadians should not have to worry whether the CPP will be there in their retirement. While McGowan welcomed Trudeau’s comments, he said he cannot and should not lead efforts within Alberta to keep the CPP. That would play right into Smith’s hands. He said she is picking a fight with him by playing politics with people’s pensions. This campaign will be more than a union effort. The AFL will act as the main organizer to bring together thousands of Alberta groups and people who oppose the APP. In the coming days, Albertans can expect to see a campaign website and digital ads. Efforts will be made to organize in-person town hall meetings, contrasting the controlled telephone town halls held by the Alberta government. At this point, he said he is unsure what the campaign will look like. But the main point is there will be one. McGowan concluded by saying his approach “will be like the famous line out of the 1980s movie Field of Dreams: Build it and they will come.”“We will build it,” he said. “And Albertans will come.”
The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) said a campaign is needed to counter the dangerous, misleading efforts made by the government to pull out of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). “We need a ‘remain’ campaign — a campaign to keep Alberta in the Canada Pension Plan,” said AFL President Gil McGowan in a Thursday speech at the United Nurses of Alberta Annual General Meeting. An Alberta Pension Plan (APP) could save Albertans billions of dollars each year, with lower contribution rates, higher benefits and stronger benefit security for families and retirees, according to a September 21 report conducted by LifeWorks. READ MORE: UPDATED: Report says Alberta provincial pension move could save people billions“This report shows a made-in-Alberta pension plan could put more money in the pockets of hard-working families and business owners and improve retirement security for seniors,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. “We want to hear from you because it’s your pension, your choice.”McGowan said the campaign “needs to come from Alberta, not Ottawa.” He added it needs to be Albertans who lead the charge. He delivered the AFL’s commitment to act as a catalyst and convenor for the campaign after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Smith he would not stand by if she enacted the APP. Trudeau said on Wednesday he was concerned about Smith’s proposal to withdraw Alberta from the CPP. He instructed his cabinet and officials to do whatever they can to ensure it remains intact, warning its exit could cause serious harm. Since Alberta is contemplating the move, he said Canadians should not have to worry whether the CPP will be there in their retirement. While McGowan welcomed Trudeau’s comments, he said he cannot and should not lead efforts within Alberta to keep the CPP. That would play right into Smith’s hands. He said she is picking a fight with him by playing politics with people’s pensions. This campaign will be more than a union effort. The AFL will act as the main organizer to bring together thousands of Alberta groups and people who oppose the APP. In the coming days, Albertans can expect to see a campaign website and digital ads. Efforts will be made to organize in-person town hall meetings, contrasting the controlled telephone town halls held by the Alberta government. At this point, he said he is unsure what the campaign will look like. But the main point is there will be one. McGowan concluded by saying his approach “will be like the famous line out of the 1980s movie Field of Dreams: Build it and they will come.”“We will build it,” he said. “And Albertans will come.”
