Thread by @MattDykstraAB

OK Alberta, come with me for an explainer on how Overtime works in Alberta... and how @jkenney @Alberta_UCP is lying to you when they say their overtime changes won't cost you and your family.

This is important to every single hardworking Albertan. 1/?
#ableg #abvote

Overtime rules in Alberta are pretty basic, for the most part. Overtime is all hours worked in excess of eight hours a day, or 44 hours a week, whichever is greater. (Toolkit, Page 21) #ableg #abvote
alberta.ca/assets/documen…

There are some jobs in some industries where exceptions make sense, either for safety or for our economy. Ambulance attendants for example. (Toolkit, Page 27) alberta.ca/assets/documen… #ableg #abvote

Now, @RachelNotley's government did a review of Alberta's Employment Standards Code and we found that we were SUPER out of line with rest of Canada with regard to how the time-and-half rule worked for banked hours. See: work.alberta.ca/documents/cjc-… #ableg #abvote

Basically, Albertans banking overtime were getting less paid time off because our laws allowed banked OT at regular pay instead of time-and-a-half. Paid time off has value, so, we changed the law to be in line with Canada. OT=1.5. Full-stop. alberta.ca/employment-sta… #ableg #abvote

Now, we know employers need flexibility. No workplace is the same. So we made sure that employers and employees could still make Overtime Agreements. However, some requirements such as banked OT is STILL time-and-a-half. (Toolkit, Page 28) #ableg #abvote alberta.ca/assets/documen…

There's a really important part here, did you miss it? It says this:

"Remember! Paid time off for banked overtime is considered wages. Vacation pay is owed on these payments."

IS. CONSIDERED. WAGES.

(Toolkit, Page 28) #ableg #abvote alberta.ca/assets/documen…

VACATION. PAY. IS. OWED.

(Toolkit, Page 28) #ableg #abvote alberta.ca/assets/documen…

Now, the UCP twisted in knots to explain what their OT policy is. This was the wording in their platform. I say WAS because they changed it overnight. (Don't worry, we got you covered here: albertandp.ca/press-releases…) #ableg #abvote

When asked WTF? Kenney said, basically, "no one complained before so that's that." #ableg #abvote cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…

Workers were immediately worried. And rightfully so. #ableg #abvote cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…

So, @ChristinaNDP and @sandersonNDP called him out. Why does Jason Kenney thinks Alberta workers should earn less for their time than other Canadians? #ableg #abvote albertandp.ca/press-releases…

Mr. Kenney's response was to call it "complete rubbish", saying his proposal wouldn't affect overtime pay. #ableg #abvote

https://twitter.com/jkenney/status/1113464617869619200?s=21

Then, the UCP secretly rewrote this section of their platform, to double down on this claim. This is at the bottom of Page 21. #ableg #abvote albertastrongandfree.ca/wp-content/upl…

Except, let's remember earlier, even in OT agreements:

"Paid time off for banked overtime is considered wages. Vacation pay is owed on these payments."

IS. CONSIDERED WAGES.

VACATION. PAY. IS. OWED.

#ableg #abvote

So, Jason Kenney made a bold-faced lie. A lie repeated in his platform. Experts confirmed "It would absolutely be a pay cut". #ableg #abvote edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/…

Still with me? OK. Now how do we know who would be hurt the most?

Well, turns out Albertans work a lot of paid overtime hours each week. A LOT. Highest in natural resources (oil and gas), construction and goods. StatsCan: #ableg #abvote www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.…

Albertans in these industries, on average, make a pretty damn good hourly wage, both part and full-time. (Fuck ya Alberta) StatsCan: #ableg #abvote www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.…

And there's A LOT of Albertans in these industries working OT. Like, 413,000 Albertans according to StatsCan: #ableg #abvote www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.…

If your OT is banked, what's that worth?

Now, I'm not great at math. So I won't stretch myself here, but if we looked at the average O&G worker based on these StatsCan figures, that's 14.7hrs/week, multiplied by 48 weeks (assuming 4 weeks vacay): 705 hours OT #ableg #abvote

705 hours at average $43.59 per hour x 1.5 = $46,730 per year.
705 hours at average $43.59 per hour x 1.0 = $30,730 per year.

The difference for this worker? $16,000 a year. 🤯

REMEMBER: Because banked hours are wages, and have value, THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE. #ableg #abvote

Now, don't rely on my math there. I could be wrong. But I would encourage @ctvedmonton @GlobalEdmonton @edmontonjournal @CBCEdmonton @CdnPress @thestaredmonton to take a closer look. This is big deal to people. #ableg #abvote

Lastly, I wrote this thread tonight because a friend called me. Their employer was making them sign an OT agreement that didn't pay time-and-a-half. Made me mad. Most employers are great! Especially because many operate across Canada and pay 1.5 regardless. #ableg #abvote

But not everyone knows the rules. And not everyone plays by the rules. No one should get screwed out of OT, and no Albertan should make less than any other Canadian. Jason Kenney needs to explain why he thinks this is fair to the hardworking people of Alberta. END. #ableg #abvote