Last week, the provincial government continued to move forward with Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, as it was introduced in the Alberta Legislature on Wednesday, but the bill did get mixed reactions.
“If approved, the law would ensure that 60,000 farm and ranch workers in Alberta will have the same basic protections that other workers in the province have received for decades,” according to a media release from the provincial government.
Changes brought on by the bill would include ensuring farms and ranches are subject to Occupational Health and Safety legislation, with the aim of preventing farm and ranch incidents that can lead to injury or death. A second change would be providing Workers’ Compensation Board insurance coverage so that workers can continue to support their families if they are injured on the job, and subsequently, to protect farm and ranch owners against the impact of workplace injury and illness.
The bill would also include farms and ranches in Employment Standards and Labour Relations legislation.
Farm and ranch workers will be protected by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations as of Jan. 1, 2016, says the provincial release. Workers’ Compensation Board coverage for farm and ranch workers will also be mandatory as of this date.
And although some Albertans feel the changes are being made too quickly, a farm against near Killam on Nov. 21 affirmed that farm safety continues to be an issue.
“A 10-year-old boy has died following a farming incident . . . The young boy had been driving a forklift on the family farm when the machine became unstable and tipped over,” according to an RCMP media release.
The boy suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. An initial investigation found that the boy lost control of the machine while driving on a gravel roadway. The machine drove into the ditch and rolled. Witnesses were nearby and quickly attempted to administer first aid.
“Members of the family describe the young boy as having operated the machine in the past and he was familiar with its operation,” says the release.
Changes to Alberta’s Employment Standards and Labour Relations legislation will come into effect in the spring of 2016, following consultations with industry regarding exemptions that may be needed for unique circumstances such as seeding or harvesting. Detailed occupational health and safety rules for farms and ranches are expected to be in place sometime in 2017.
Provincial numbers show that 447 farmers died on the job between 1985 and 2010, in Alberta. Last year, 24 deaths in the province were related to farming. The previous PC-lead government debated the topic of farm safety and the idea of introducing similar legislation for a number of years.
Local farmer Lynn Schappert was one of many people who were quick to voice concern over the changes. She and her husband farm about 4,200 acres and have about 700 head of cattle, near St. Vincent.
“WCB is a form of insurance and if we (farmers) want to partake in it, we already can voluntarily. Leave it as is,” says Schappert. She adds that “safety is number one for everyone, and this bill isn't all bad, but it does need some amendments made before passing and enforcing it.”
When speaking to the Journal on the issue, she said, “We need to make it realistic pertaining to the occupational health and safety regulations and scrap the mandatory WCB. There are other programs . . . that farmers can pay into that they feel would protect their employees from injuries while providing employees with additional work benefits and incentives.”
Schapper also took to social media last week, saying, “Farming is not a job but a way of life – 99 per cent of the general public will probably never understand what I mean by this.”
She added, “Our business is simply one of a kind, and should be treated so. There's no such thing as an eight-hour day because we work until the job is done, and that is that. We will do what it takes to persevere and of course will do our very best to do it safely.”
Due to how quickly the province was moving forward with the changes, a petition could not be put together, said Schappert, but she encouraged other Albertans with concerns to send letters and emails the provincial government, along with calling provincial offices last week.
The letter Schappert encouraged people to send stated “there needs to be extensive research and consultations along with farm collaborations in order to devise a solution that is in the best interest of every farm and ranch.”
According to the provincial media release, Albertans who want to provide input on the proposed changes or those who would like to get more information can attend town hall meetings being held in November and December. Town halls will be taking place in Grande Prairie area on Nov. 26, Red Deer area on Dec. 1, Okotoks on Dec. 2, Lethbridge on Dec. 3, and Leduc on Dec. 7.
The official opposition was quick to criticize the bill too, saying in a media release, “Improving safety on farms is critical, but the changes announced through Bill 6 . . . occur too quickly and need to be sent to committee to guarantee proper consultation for the family farms that will be impacted.”
The short timeline of 45 days to debate and pass the legislation, along with the “dramatic change in regulations without having proper consultation with farmers could lead to bad outcomes for Alberta’s second largest industry,” according to the Wildrose.
The opposition party said it had petitioned for accommodations for small family farms that would be impacted by these changes, but the new legislation does not include any. In British Columbia, workplace safety legislation makes a clear distinction between large operators and family farms, adds the release.
But, other groups were happy to hear of Bill 6. The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) was quick to applaud the changes that are taking place, saying under the legislation introduced, “Alberta’s agricultural businesses will be forced to comply with the same laws and legislations that govern all other businesses in the province, including Alberta’s Occupational Health & Safety Act, Traffic Safety Act, Workers’ Compensation Act, and Labour Code.”
“The inclusion of agricultural workers in Alberta’s workplace laws is a victory for all workers,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “These reforms will mean workers are less likely to be exploited. These reforms will mean fewer workers will lose their lives unnecessarily. Workers who are injured won’t be denied compensation. And the events that lead to injuries will be investigated so we can learn from mistakes.”
More than 50,000 Albertans work in the agricultural sector. They account for 2.6 per cent of our workforce, according to the AFL.
The Alberta Liberal party also spoke in favour of the bill.
“Today is a great day for Alberta. After more than a decade of delays, questioning, petitions, rallies, and calls to action, paid farm workers will finally receive the basic workplace protections that the rest of us enjoy,” said Liberal Leader David Swann. He added that there would no doubt be some opposition to the changes. “There will be excuses, ideological alarms, claims that this will forever alter our way of life or doom our industry, and cries that the government is doing too much, too fast.”
