By Bob Barnetson In early December, Alberta rolled out new rules regulating the employment of children. As January 1, 2019, the rules are this: -Children 12 and under cannot be employed except in artistic productions and then, only with a permit and parental permission. These new rules raise the minimum age of employment from 12 Continue readingAlberta’s new child-labour laws don’t apply on farms
farmworkers
By Bob Barnetson Last week, Alberta announced new Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) rules affecting 14,000 paid farm workers on 4200 Alberta farms and ranches. These rules represent a significant win for farm workers by setting out minimum safety requirements. The announcement of new OHS rules concludes at two-and-half-year struggle over the degree to which Alberta’s employment Continue readingNew Alberta farm safety rules an improvement but leave workers vulnerable
by Edward Dunsworth The Thanksgiving season is often seized upon by farmworkers and activists to highlight agricultural workers’ contributions to society and the precarious conditions that so often characterize their work and life. In both Canada and the United States, farm labour activists have riffed on a popular motif which recognizes farmers, modifying it to Continue readingPredicting the future of migrant labour programs…in the 60s and 70s
By Bob Barnetson Last week, Alberta passed Bill 17, which made important (but not earth-shattering) changes to the Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code. While there was little public discussion of it, this Act also affected farms and ranches. Agriculture was brought into the ambit of Alberta’s employment laws in late 2015 (with the Continue readingImpact of Bill 17 on Alberta farms and ranches