THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015
VOL. 93 | NO. 48 | $4.25
Agritechnica The Western Producer visits the world’s biggest farm show | P. 62
Cattle marketing SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
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More packers are paying for cattle that meet specific grade standards. | P. 68
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SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT
Landon Spokowski of Yorkton, Sask., trims a commercial Boer-cross goat for Calico Creek Goats at Canadian Western Agribition Nov. 22. SEE CONTINUOUS AGRIBITION COVERAGE ONLINE AT WWW.PRODUCER.COM AND IN NEXT WEEK’S PRINT EDITION. | WILLIAM DEKAY PHOTO
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FARM SAFETY
New farm worker safety rules to alter landscape in Alberta Changes to worker compensation and OH&S regulations have many wondering about the effects BY MARY MACARTHUR CAMROSE BUREAU
GIBBONS, Alta. — Sweeping changes to work and safety rules for Alberta’s farms and ranches have generated concern among those in farming. Few farmers know how the mandatory Workers Compensation or Occupational Health and Safety rules will apply to their farms or how they will affect workers or neighbours who drop by to help brand calves. “There is a huge education initiative that is needed,” said Grace
MacGregor, a director of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. Provincial jobs, skills, training and labour minister Lori Sigurdson unveiled the proposed changes Nov. 17 at a farm northeast of Edmonton. The bill would make changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Workers Compensation Act, the Employment Standards Code and the Labour Relations Code. “Everyone deserves a safe, fair and healthy workplace,” Sigurdson said. “With this bill, workplace legislation will now extend to farms and ranches. The rules we imple-
ment must respect the unique qualities of the farm and ranch industry, and I look forward to working with industry members to develop rules that make sense.” Under the proposed changes, Workers Compensation Board coverage will be mandatory on all Alberta farms and ranches starting Jan. 1. As well, Alberta farms will no longer be excluded from Occupational Health and Safety legislation, and will have to comply with all employment standards, including hours of work, holidays, restrictions on employment of children and minimum wage. Farm workers
will also be able to unionize and bargain collectively. Alberta premier Rachel Notley said the legislation will save lives. “I am convinced this will save lives and I am convinced it will also very much ameliorate the pain and suffering both to workers and their families when they are injured and they are left with absolutely no compensatory framework,” she said. She said the rules are a basic human right other provinces have adopted, and have been ignored too long in Alberta. SEE ALBERTA’S NEW RULES, PAGE 4
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