BY MINISTER LORI SIGURDSON
Albertaneeds toplaycatch-up
Fall
2015
grainswest.com
43
ALBERTA IS A PROVINCE RICH
with culture, diversity, natural resources
and history. Our rural heritage provides
us with a solid connection to the land, a
devotion to hard work and the satisfaction
of a job well done.
Our government believes a job well
done means the job is done safely and
workers are treated fairly. This is one
aspect of life and work in rural Alberta
that needs improvement. I’m speaking of
the 60,000 workers on Alberta’s farms
and ranches who are not protected by
workplace legislation—the same legisla-
tion that applies to the other two million
workers in our province.
Currently, Alberta is the only prov-
ince in the country where occupational
health and safety (OHS) legislation does
not apply to farms and ranches. Most of
our Employment Standards Code doesn’t
apply either. What’s more, farm workers
do not have mandatory workers’ compen-
sation coverage like those in most other
industries, and our Labour Relations Code
forbids them from unionizing.
This failure can have a devastating
impact on workers and their families. On
Father’s Day in 2006, grain silo worker
Kevan Chandler was killed on the job.
OHS officers could not investigate be-
cause this happened on an Alberta farm.
Without the coverage the rest of Albertans
take for granted, his widow struggled to
support herself and her children. This is
a situation that should never happen. But
this is our reality.
Approximately 97 per cent of farms do
not have Workers’ Compensation Board
coverage, and in 2014, 25 farm workers
were killed on the job. The sad fact is that,
under current legislation, farm workers
can be fired for refusing unsafe work.
Even one farm-related fatality is too many,
and these numbers represent incidents
that have lasting impacts on families, pro-
ducers and rural communities. This status
quo is not acceptable and we’re committed
to making sure every Albertan is able to
come home to their loved ones at the end
of the day.
While farm workers in Alberta are
covered by such employment standards
as termination notice/pay, maternity and
reservist leave, and the right to be paid for
their work, they are not entitled to holi-
days, rest breaks or minimum wage.
I want to recognize the farmers and
ranchers who have taken the initiative
to protect their workers and treat them
well. Our government believes every-
one deserves that same protection. The
current situation is inherently unfair and,
despite the traditions that have been built
up over the years, a farm or ranch worker
is really no different than a worker in any
other industry. Extending protection to
farm and ranch workers is simply the right
thing to do.
Our first priority in this process will
be to work with this unique industry
to ensure we strike the right balance of
workplace legislation. There is no doubt
that farms and ranches are different
from construction sites, the oil and gas
business, and other sectors. My colleagues
in the Ministry of Agriculture and I will
be sure we have a full understanding of
those nuances, and the way we’ll do that
is through continued conversations with
farm and ranch employers, workers and
industry groups.
I have said that our government will
be moving forward on this issue in the
near future, and we will. We are currently
working out the details, and I hope to
make an announcement this fall.
Throughout the summer, I have heard
from many organizations that they wel-
come these changes. I appreciate their
support, and I applaud their realization of
the need for improved protection for farm
and ranch workers. They are showing the
kind of spirit of co-operation, fair-mind-
edness and empathy for their friends and
neighbours that make Alberta the great
place it is.
Our government will continue to stand
up for Albertans and their families to
ensure everyone has access to a safe and
healthy workplace. We believe workers
deserve protections, no matter what pro-
fession they choose.
Lori Sigurdson is the NDP MLA for Ed-
monton-Riverview and minister of advanced
education and innovation as well as jobs,
skills, training and labour.
Our government believes everyone
deserves that same protection.
The current situation is inherently
unfair and, despite the traditions
that have been built up over the
years, a farm or ranch worker is
really no different than a worker in
any other industry.
