FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 1998

EDMONTON -- Alberta's minimum wage is "woefully inadequate" and should be raised immediately, says a report released today by the Alberta Federation of Labour.

Once inflation is taken into account, the report shows that the real value of the minimum wage in Alberta has dropped by nearly 40 per cent over the past 20 years. This situation, argues the AFL, is unacceptable.

"There is a firm belief among Albertans that any individual who works full-time at a job should not have to live in poverty," reads the report."This is a social principle that virtually all Canadians endorse."

The AFL report -- which was presented to Labour Minister Murray Smith this morning -- was prepared in response to a government-mandated review of labour standards regulations. A committee composed of government MLAs is currently reviewing Alberta's minimum wage and other work-related regulations.

"What we're saying with this report is that the minimum wage in this province is far too low," says AFL president Audrey Cormack. "We're also saying that the laws protecting the rights of Albertans in the workplace are inadequate."

While focusing on the issue of the minimum wage, the AFL report also criticizes government-approved "exemptions" which allow many Alberta employers to ignore basic provisions of the Employment Standards Code. As a result of these exemptions, thousands of working Albertans are denied basic workplace rights related to things like vacations, overtime and hours of work.

The AFL report concludes with a call for a minimum wage that would allow all working Albertans to live above the poverty line. It also calls for a full, public review of the entire Employment Standards Code.

"The current review is too limited in scope and it hasn't provided a real forum for ordinary working people," says Cormack. "Albertans deserve better."