A job is a job whether a person works in manufacturing, an office, retail or in agriculture and workers deserve the same rights and protections.
And it seems the Alberta government agrees.
On Dec. 9 the Notley government successfuly saw their farm safety bill pass into law. Bill 6 as it is officially titled forces farm operators, like the majority of employers in the province, to provide Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) coverage for their employees. The legislation also gives the estimated 60,000 farm workers in Alberta the ability to refuse unsafe work, like any other employee, and the right to join a union.
Under the current legislation, farm workers are exempt from OHS legislation and safety investigators cannot investigate complaints or injuries or deaths that may occur to work related accidents on farms.
Opponents say the bill isn’t necessary because farmers already protect farm workers and that OHS doesn’t know the farm industry and therefore are ill equipped to investigate farm safety. They feel forcing farmers to provide WCB coverage for their employees would be change the way of life for farm families by having to extend coverage for their children or their neighbours who may pop over to lend a hand during harvesting.
The government counters by saying Bill 6 isn’t intended to affect farm families as the WCB coverage is only intended for paid workers. On Dec. 7, the government clarified this position with an amendment to exempt family members from WCB and occupational health and safety rules, whether they are paid for farm work or not. Hutterite colonies are also exempt.
Farm workers safety legislation in Alberta is a discussion that has been occurring in the province for a number of years.
In 2008, provincial court Judge Peter Barley recommended the province include paid farm workers under the farm safety act, while exempting family members and other non-paid workers. The judge said there was “no logical explanation” why paid employees on a farm are not covered by the same workplace legislation as non-farm employees.
Both Alison Redford and Ed Stelmach promised to expand the law to include farm workers.Four-years later farm workers are still exempt from OHS legislation and taking a look at the provincial data it appears the government is on the right track. Between 1985 and 2010, provincial data shows 447 Alberta farmers workers died on the job. Last year that number was 24, an increase of nine from the year before.
Now that Bill 6 has officially passed will it mean the end of the family farm, as we know it? Not likely. All the other provinces, in some form, have farm worker safety legislation and they all still have family farms.
However, does that mean Bill 6 is a good thing? Not necessarily. As with any law the devil is in the details or the regulations, of which, so far little has been seen.
Right idea, poor execution.
The Leader invites readers to comment on Bill 6 by writing a letter to the editor.
