ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

While accepting that this book (and its errors) reflect my own particular views about the prevention and compensation of workplace injury and, more broadly, the employment relationship, I would be remiss in not acknowledging the assistance I received in completing this manuscript.

The idea for this book started when I was writing Athabasca University courses on workers’ compensation and industrial relations. Winston Gereluk provided useful guidance in both processes, including extensive research support for the compensation course. He, along with Bruce Spencer, Ingo Schmidt, and Jeff Taylor in the Centre for Work and Community Studies, provided useful commentary on particular aspects of my argument and sheltered me from some of the administrative work while I completed research and writing.

The staff at the Alberta Labour Library and at the Athabasca University Library provided much appreciated help in tracking down required materials and volunteering some rather obscure “stuff we just had in the back.” Thanks are also due to Athabasca University’s Research Incentive Grant program, which funded the acquisition of a small library.

Jason Foster, formerly of the Alberta Federation of Labour, provided useful commentary on some of the arguments and the issue of compensating occupational cancer. Also deserving credit (although perhaps not wanting it) are the staff at the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board and the Department of Employment, Immigration and Industry whom, during my brief stays there, provided a useful introduction to the practicalities and politics of workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety.

I cannot adequately thank the two anonymous reviewers of an early version of this manuscript. Their comments were exceptionally insightful and broadened my perspective significantly. Similar assistance was patiently provided by the editorial board and staff of the AU Press. Thanks in particular to Alvin Finkel and Jay Smith for providing helpful guidance to a first-time author.

Finally, thanks are due to my wife, who never once rolled her eyes (that I saw…) when I hijacked the dinner conversation to work out some argument or other about workplace injury.