New Alberta Farm regulations

[Farmfleury]

With the new regulations coming in Alberta has anyone heard how the overtime will work? Will employers have to pay overtime on more than 40 hours a week.? In Sask do you pay overtime? I am sure almost every farm is running more than 40 hours a week especially during seeding and harvest. Will employers just have to lower the monthly or hourly wage to accommodate the overtime hours going to be paid?

[SASKFARMER3]

Order your safety ladder and vest and helmet before you get on your horse!
For hunters on your land do safety meetings and then you their your responsibility

[Oliver88]

Sounds like quite a rally at the legislature building in Edmonton against Bill 6.

The NDP without rural MLA's, are out of touch with agriculture. This is not a surprise.

[Farmfleury]

I am not against paying workmans comp but I am unsure how labor regulations will prevent us from working more than 40 hour a week without paying overtime. Also wondering if all bins will need to have tethers or some sort, or how some things like brandings, and kids riding in tractor and combine cabs will be affected. Less time for young ones seeing how things are done means a lot more accidents when these kids turn adult and start to do the jobs themselves.

[agstar77]

No, it won't mean more accidents but it will mean proper training when they are old enough to actually handle the equipment. No 10 year olds running forklifts or 12 year olds running a weigh wagon without supervision.

[grassfarmer]

What's the problem with paying overtime? Thought it was accepted practise any time you asked someone to work after hours or weekends.

[perfecho]

Heard the rally just shouted, didn't want to listen to speakers, just shouted "Kill Bill 6". Seems reasonable...lets not listen to the pros and cons...lets just get rid of any change.

Makes sense, doesn't it...the most dangerous job, quite often the lowest paid and we don't want to have a discussion on offering some sort of compensation or protection...and we whine about being able to find help!

I still want to see what changes will be made, in simple terms, before I give support, however it takes two sensible parties to come to the table....this will just confirm some peoples ideas about farmers.

[tweety]

Actually for sorry for you guys in Ab. Coming from SK that really shows the times have changed.

Good luck there neighbors!

[perfecho]

Well, you can feel sorry if you want, but most of the people I am around are quite happy...I can even afford to get some welding done around here on corrals and such at a reasonable rate.. and the welder seems quite happy at it....says he loves doing this sort of thing.
Really, it is only the die hard Cons that seem to be really whining...the gravy train for them has left the station. I have even heard some staunch Cons say that so far, so good.
even Suncor seems to be going ahead with some work...just have a new reality, the old one kinda sucked for some!

[Koldkanuck]

Depending what exactly is in the bill. You might have spend thousands upon thousands for your farm to fall into the parameters. Example, you might have to have safety hooks on all your equipment that is over 3 feet. Want to load the air seeder, not before you put your safety harness on and are clipped into the safety hooks. Want to crawl up the combine ladder...we'll hold it, have to put on your safety vest and clip on, and that might be after you and your crew had your safety meeting in the morning. Wear running shoes in the tractor or combine, no way ...might stub your toe, have to have steel toed boots. Want to ride your horse, move some cattle to the next pasture...well okay, as long as you are wearing a hard hat, with reflective clothing. None of this cowboy hat and cowboy boots crap. Oh ya, don't let your neighbour catch hired man lifting more than 40 lbs, because he will report you to Occupation and Health, because he don't like you. Oh ya, don't forget about the log books you will have to keep on your help, or your kids. And don't let them catch you with any shields removed, like on the intake of a grain auger. You'll just have to make the door and chutes bigger on some of those old bins.....you know.....those that you will have to reconstruct the top, so it can hold a safety wire for when you put on your harness to crawl up the new engaged ladder you had to build, so you can go and open the lid on the bin.

[Koldkanuck]

Encaged ladder

[Steve_Winkler]

This bill is not just about safety, being safer, or paying people fairly. It differs in its wording than any other province in the country. As some have said, the devil is in the detail.

This is what I've been relating to people across social media:


Good morning,

Just another dissatisfied and very upset Albertan writing in to voice my concerns with Bill 6 and what it has the potential to do to agriculture in this once great province. I strongly OPPOSE Bill 6.

Many things at play here. I think the larger area of concern was/is the way this legislation was written, presented, and subsequently how fast it seems to be getting pushed through.

OHS, & Labour standards ( with "possibility"of amendments tailored later ) after the bill is already law?? That isn't right.

Mandatory WCB coverage January 1st, 2016, even if you already have sufficient and in many cases better insurance? That isn't right either.

Numerous rules and regs that would apply to small family operations eliminating their own kids, family members, and neighbours from helping out.

As it was presented, this legislation was and is an epic communication failure and an affront to the legislative process. That is what is causing such angst amongst those affected.

Many of us are working with our MLA's, Ag groups, friends and neighbours to make sure this legislation is done right and not shoved down our throats as the piece of garbage it started out as.

Thank you.

Steve Winkler

[mcfarms]

Good post Steve.

[wmoebis]

Why do some ladders on bins have cages and some don't?
The other thing, why do all bin ladders that follow the contour of bins have hand rails, yet the ones that go straight up some do some don't?
Shouldn't they all come with cages or hand rails? I hate ladders cages or not!

[perfecho]

Great to see people working to make it better, not throwing it totally out.