A labour shortage occurs when the demand for labour exceeds the supply of labour, right? Well, apparently not in Alberta.

The Alberta Federation of Labour took a long, hard look at the Government of Alberta's projections showing an astronomical labour shortage of 114,000 workers by 2021 and found them to be based on misleading methods.

Instead of a straightforward calculation of demand for labour minus supply of labour, with a shortage occurring when total demand exceeds total supply, Alberta used a strange formula that subtracts the annual change in demand from the annual change in supply.

Tar Sands Healing Walk

The Deets:  Saturday August 4, 2012 Crane Lake Park Fort McMurry, Alberta

For more information, please see here: 

The Call Out: 3rd Annual Tar Sands Healing Walk   

We, the Keepers of the Athabasca, are calling on allies and supporters to join us on a healing walk. We are asking all community members of the Tar Sands regions and those in the path of tar sands infrastructure (pipelines and refineries) and all supporters to come out and walk for the healing of the land and our sacred waters.

Christy Clark's bargaining position in the squabble between British Columbia and Alberta over provincial pipeline danger pay may be unconstitutional, and it may not be "legal" in the sense of commercial or common law. But it doesn't need to be. That's because it sure as heck makes political sense!

It makes good sense politically both from the point of view of the fundamental political challenge the British Columbia premier faces in her home province, and from that of managing a successful negotiation over time with Alberta Premier Alison Redford.