A rally organized by farm workers and union officials in Calgary recently was intended to increase awareness of the lack of rights for farm labour, said organizers.
“We believe farm workers are persons of equal worth,” said Eric Musekamp, organizer of the event and founder of the Farmworkers Union of Alberta.
In Alberta, farm workers are exempt from most provisions of the employment standards code including overtime, hours of work, statutory holidays and minimum wage.
Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act also excludes farming operations from its requirements.
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“We want government to change the laws,” said Musekamp, who founded the union in 1999 after his farm worker friend was killed in a water truck rollover accident.
The Farmworkers Union is a union in name only because farm workers cannot join a union.
Musekamp said the number of members is “secret” because of non-union rules.
Chris Chodan, public affairs officer with the human resources and employment department, said agriculture is exempt from the rules because farmers have too many variables, such as weather and world prices.
“It’s not compatible with the family farm,” said Chodan.
The provincial government has announced it is now looking at changes to the Employment Standards Code.
Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, said the AFL helped organize the Aug. 20 Calgary event to raise awareness of the lack of rights for farm workers.
“We wouldn’t run with it if we didn’t think it was legitimate,” he said. “It’s shameful and it needs to be changed,” said McGowan about the lack of legislation covering farm workers.
There are about 12,000 farm workers in Alberta, and one-quarter are temporary or seasonal workers.
Rod Scarlett, executive director of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, said its board has met with the farm workers union and feels there is some merit in the concerns.
“The whole issue of worker health and safety has been left piecemeal,” said Scarlett, whose board has met with provincial officials on ways to integrate better WCB coverage for farms.
Scarlett said his organization sees value in groups like British Columbia’s Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association, dedicated to reducing agriculture injuries.
But forming a farm union in Alberta would be a difficult sale, said Scarlett.
“It’s a tough name in Alberta.”
The Canadian Agriculture Injury Surveillance Program estimates there are 100 deaths and 1,500 hospitalizations from agricultural injuries in Canada each year.
