The phase-out of the Alberta’s coal -fired electricity generation is in the works, with regulations begun by the Harper government and continued by the current provincial government in its Climate Leadership Plan . Approximately 3,000 workers at 18 coal-fired electricity plants and their associated mines will be affected by the end of the phase-out in 2030. In September 2016, consultant Terry Boston submitted recommendations to the government on how to transition the electricity supply; for public consultation about transition issues for workers and communities, an Advisory Panel on Coal Communities was established, and is scheduled to release its report “in early Spring 2017”.
On March 3, the union-based Coal Transition Coalition unveiled its detailed policy recommendations for the Advisory Panel. Getting it Right: A Just Transition Strategy for Alberta’s Coal Workers , aims to influence discussion early on in the planning process, to ensure that issues such as pensions, severance, labour-retention strategies and
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economic diversification are built in from the start. Getting it Right chronicles government policies and the coal mines to be affected, then describes in detail four case study examples of coal transitions in the U.S. and the Rhuhr Valley in Germany . These case studies form the basis of the “Lessons learned” section, which in turn form the basis of the recommendations.
The Coalition’s recommendations emphasize the advantage of a long-lead time available, the importance of unique, community-led plans, and the importance of public and political acceptance of the Transition programs. Income replacement and severance benefits are a central concern – calling for enhanced federal Employment Insurance program benefits, and a provincial pension bridging trust fund with adequate reserves to help workers just shy of retirement in 2030. The Coalition also recommends that the province conduct an audit of existing pensions and their coverage and gaps, and prepare a plan to ensure pensions are fully funded and mandated to meet their obligations. The report cites a separate report commissioned by the Alberta Federation of Labour, Pension And Benefit Plans In A Just Transitions Strategy For The Alberta Coal-Fired Electricity Industry (November 2016)), which is not available online.
The core recommendation is to establish an Alberta Economic Adjustment Agency , free of political interference, to develop “a just transition plan that places the interests of affected workers, their families and communities as its highest priority”. Programs would be funded through an Alberta Economic Adjustment Trust Fund, governed by an independent board of trustees to guard against any political or industry interference, and financed through contributions “on the order of $10 million to $20 million per year” leading up to 2030. The report is silent on who will provide the funding.
The Coal Transition Coalition is led by the Alberta Federation of Labour and includes the following unions: Canadian Energy Workers Association, CSU 52, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Ironworkers Local 720 , Unifor, United Steelworkers, and United Utility Workers Association.
