Seeding takes place outside of Medicine Hat in April 2019 - CHAT News file photo

By Charles Lefebvre

Farmworker bill

UCP tables new farm worker legislation

Nov 20, 2019 | 5:07 PM

EDMONTON, AB — The United Conservative Party is prepared to roll back the majority of farm worker legislation passed by the NDP.

Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen tabled the Farm Freedom and Safety Act in the legislature on Wednesday. If passed, the bill would make changes to employment and labour standards on farms in Alberta.

“It ultimately goes into everything that we talked to with farmers, whether it is worker insurance, whether it’s occupational health and safety, whether it’s labour relations, we wanted to actually have their thoughts, farmers’ thoughts to go into the legislation, that at the end of the day, it is actually something that can be implemented

Bill 6, passed by the NDP in 2016, made sweeping changes to legislation covering farm workers. The announcement caused protests across the province when it was announced.

The law required all farms to provide Worker’s Compensation Board coverage for death, disability and dismemberment. They must also abide by employment standards covering minimum wages, termination and record-keeping.

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Under the proposed legislation, small farms, defined as those with five or fewer employees, will be exempt from the changes, including having to provide insurance. Farms made up of six or more employees will be subject to the changes.

Large operations will also have to provide insurance, either through WCB or a private company.

The proposed law also would prevent farm workers for unionizing or collective bargaining.

Dreeshen said since the law came into effect, no unions were formed by farm workers.

He says the bill would allow flexibility for farmers to run their operations.

“This is something we consulted with farmers, and we are being reflective of the people we consulted, and this is the legislation we’ve introduced, and I firmly stand behind our farmers and the wishes they would like to see this government do, and I think that is something that we’ll proudly stand behind,” Dreeshen said.

Occupational Health and Safety standards will still apply for all farms, but will be on a broad “outcome-based” system, Dreeshen said.

If passed, the majority of the bill will take effect in January.