Coal workers across Alberta are joining forces to call on the NDP to assist them in transitioning to other types of employment.
Roy Milne worked at the Highvale coal mine – Canada’s largest surface mine – for 33 years.
“It’s been a great job. It’s unionized, it’s got great pay and benefits,” he said. “The topsoil is moved and set to one side, the subsoil is removed, the coal is exposed, it’s mined. It’s hauled into the plant, it’s crushed – that’s the job I’m in charge of on my shift. Then it goes into the power plants to burn and produce steam for power generation.”
But with natural gas becoming a cheaper alternative and plans from both the federal government and the province to phase out coal, he is now looking at an early retirement.
Milne said the Highvale plant will stop using coal in 2023.
With the SunHills coal plant located just south of Wabamun Lake, Milne said there’s not a lot of heavy industry alternatives in the area, other than some oil and gas.
While Milne is retiring and estimates about a quarter of his colleagues will join him, the rest will be looking for other work. Some are already leaving.
“With the uncertainty, yes. We had three last week that put their notice in and went elsewhere,” he explained.
He also runs new hire orientations and hasn’t had anyone to train for a month.
Milne was one of many coal workers that joined a coalition a year-and-a-half ago to have their voices heard. They want to see the province ease the transition as coal is phased out.
“Members of our coalition realize that the world is moving away from coal-fired power plants,” explained Gil McGowan, the coalition’s chairperson. “We’re recommending they establish a job readiness program so that the workers affected by the closures would be provided with training education, career counselling and support in the job search.”
On Friday, McGowan outlined a plan that would see an independent agency oversee the chances the workers, their families and their communities need.
“The government has an obligation to make sure that their interests and concerns are addressed because it was their policy that resulted in the phaseout of their jobs,” he said.
The coalition also wants job pools and preferential hiring in similar industries like oil and gas or renewable energy. They also want economic development programs for communities where the coal mine is often the largest employer.
Economic Development Minister Deron Bilous said the province is working on a transition program. He said he’s been travelling to towns with coal mines to see how they can diversify their economy and what supports they may need.
“We made a commitment to Albertans – and especially those coal workers and their families – that we would work with them, and we’re not about to turn our backs on them and we are starting that work today.”
While the NDP have sped up the timelines for phasing out coal, the idea was introduced by the Progressive Conservatives years ago.
The coalition said a lot of time and research has been put into their plan, estimating the cost to be around $10 million to $20 million a year for the next 13 years when Alberta’s coal phaseout is expected to be complete.
READ MORE: Alberta makes deal with power producers to phase out coal by 2030
The province said it’s working with the federal government to help coal plants convert to other power generation means, including natural gas, so the infrastructure isn’t wasted.
“There’s lots of jobs in this province,” Milne said. “With minimal retraining and re-education, most of our members should be able to find jobs.”
There are currently five coal mines operating in Alberta, employing about 3,000 people.
“We know that we can’t turn back the clock, so our goal as a coalition is to convince the government to put programs and policies in place to – as much as possible – ease the transition for affected workers and the communities in which they live,” McGowan said.
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