FARM LAWS ARE NEEDED
At a meeting Tuesday with the Herald editorial board, Premier Jim Prentice trotted out the same tired mix of equivocation and obfuscation as he has in the past, when asked about Alberta’s lack of protection for farm workers.
It is clear the Tories have no plans to legislate occupational safety and health protection and employment standards for farm workers right now and risk angering their rural constituents before an election, but eventually, they must bring Alberta on board with the rest of the country.
Prentice attempted to duck the question at the meeting by talking about family farms. Reminded that the vast majority of Alberta farms are owned by big agri- business, he acknowledged “there are pretty strong views on it among the Alberta agriculture sector.” Meaning that the farmers and ranchers whose votes he needs don’t want it. He said Agriculture Minister Verlyn Olson and Labour Minister Ric McIver are working on it.
“We continue to work with people to find solutions,” Prentice said.
Premier Prentice, there are solutions. A sampling of the legislation from Saskatchewan, Ontario and Manitoba shows that Alberta can tailor its own laws to address everyone’s concerns.
Next door to us, no farmer is exempt from the safety and health provisions of the Saskatchewan Employment Act. Family farm or industrial operation, all farmers must comply with safe working environment requirements and ensure that their workers know they can refuse to do dangerous work. Farmers must provide training about workplace hazards, consider insurance coverage and report fatalities, serious injuries and dangerous events to the provincial government.
Ontario divides agricultural workers into four categories with different rules and exemptions applying, depending on whether a worker deals with livestock, planting and cultivating, works primarily in harvesting fruits and vegetables, toils on a “near farm” or does landscape gardening.
Manitoba exempts family farms on a number of employment standards provisos, but those farms still must follow the rules of equal pay for equal work. Workplace health and safety laws apply to all Manitoba farms, family- owned or otherwise, with up to $ 250,000 in fines for each infraction. It can be done in Alberta, and it must be done. Otherwise, the Farmworkers Union of Alberta should make good on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge that University of Calgary law students drafted for them last year, on the unconstitutionality of being exempt from legislated protection, and fight for their rights in court.