The CAMROSE BOOSTER, September 22, 2020 – Page 8
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Restoring balance in Alberta’s workplace By Murray Green
The proposed Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act should support economic recovery, restore balance in the workplace, and get Albertans back to work. If passed, this legislation could save job creators an estimated $100 million per year by reducing red tape from daily operations, helping them keep their doors open, and provide jobs for hard-working Albertans. “Our government was elected on the promise of supporting employee choice and to bring balance back to Alberta’s labour laws. This bill will do just that and will also help businesses save time and money, letting them focus on getting Albertans back to work while protecting workers,” said Jason Copping, Alberta Minister of Labour and Immigration. Bill 32 should provide employees and employers with clearer and more transparent rules promoting fairness and productivity, including more clarity about rest periods and temporary layoff notices. “As businesses reopen, we need to support our job creators. We told Albertans we would get them back to work and make it easier to do business in Alberta. That’s exactly what we’re doing by cutting this unneeded red tape,” added Grant Hunter, associate minister of Red Tape Reduction. “Alberta Construction Association applauds the Government of Alberta for introducing greater flexibility and reduced red tape in averaging agreements, hours of work, and temporary layoffs. Changes to these employment standards support seasonal, remote project-based construction jobs, while maintaining fairness in the workplace,” said Frederick Vine, chairman, Alberta Construction Association. “Merit Contractors Association congratulates the Government of Alberta for returning balance to employers and their employees though revisions to the Labour Relations Code and Employment Standards Act. These positive changes send a message to investors and job creators that Alberta is open for business,” said Malcolm Kirkland, president and chief executive officer, Merit Contractors Association and a Camrose resident. To help inform these proposed changes, 5,421 responses were received during an online public survey conducted in November 2019.
Break out the cookie puffs
I don’t do September well. After two months of extended time with my kids (this time, six months), it is always with a heavy heart that I drop them off at school. The first day of school this year, my husband sent me a text in the morning. It didn’t ask how drop-off had gone, because he knew the kids would be fine. What he wanted to know was, how was I doing? He knows. I had been instructed by a friend that the very first step when returning home after dropping children off and the house seems unbearably quiet, is to turn on the music. Apparently Jewel and Cat Stevens are kind of a downer though, so I am going to need to find some new music or things are going to get pretty weepy around here. I told my husband that I was fine. So far, I had: run a few errands, enjoyed an impromptu tea on my sister-inlaw’s patio, tidied the front closet, eaten four cookie puffs (my comfort food of choice), had a little cry, and gone for a run in the pasture with our dog Shadow. Because this year, things are a little different: all three children are now in school full time. It’s one of those new eras in life that you know will come eventually, and all of a sudden, wham, it is here. I want my kids to become independent one day and this is one step towards that. But let’s just say that I’m not going to get to a point where I “stop cooking with cheese” to get them to move out like a TV commercial used to say, or start buying them toasters and other mini appliances when they are 12 to prepare them for the day that they move out. A few years ago on one of the first days of school, I got out plates for lunch and burst into tears because I had brought down too many plates. I just miss those little people! I thought I was doing better than other years–after all, so far I have bought only one back-to-school shirt (um, I mean for myself). Then the other day, I was in the entrance way of a store and the Winnie-the-Pooh ride was running, with the Winnie-the-Pooh song playing. I halted in my tracks and got a lump in my throat because I could suddenly picture my two little boys sitting on that ride together, with huge grins spread across their little faces. I have gotten used to having my kids with me while I grocery shop. I ask them questions about what they think we should buy. (Peaches or nectarines? Broccoli or asparagus?) It is actually surprisingly hard not to talk out loud about these things now. While I really don’t like wearing masks, I have found one positive about them–I can mumble to myself all I want while I’m shopping and nobody can see my lips moving. (Though my husband suggested I do my ramblings quietly so as to not draw too much attention to myself.) While my heart is feeling heavy during this season, there is still so much to do. My garden needs to be emptied and processed; outside windows washed once harvest is over; spaces to clean out; photo albums to make; walks with friends. My mom and I have gone for a few bike rides on these warm fall days. I thought it would be strange without the kids, but we had a lovely time, stopping on a little hill to eat a snack amongst the red-leafed bushes, cheeks to the sun. It’s a time for new adventures and new projects. I’m excited for the kids and the friendships they are making, the incredible things they have already learned…but I am still sad that the time is drawing to a close where I spend my whole day with them. If you see someone from the Moms’ Masked Mumbling Club, try not to stare…we are still adjusting.
