Alberta’s AgCoalition is expressing concerns over the provincial government’s Bill 17, known as the Fair & Family-Friendly Workplaces Act, which was passed on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.
Kent Erickson, Chairperson of AgCoalition. (Photo/Real Agriculture)
The AgCoalition says it could seriously disrupt the agriculture sector’s unique culture of cooperation and family-stayle relationships between employer and employee.
The legislation includes a wide-range of changes designed to change Alberta’s employment standards process and labour codes, including provisions giving farm and ranch workers the right to form a union.
“Unionization of on farms and ranches could seriously harm the viability of this sector,” AgCoalition Chairperson Kent Erickson said in a news release. “It’s part of the agriculture community’s culture to treat farm and ranch employees like family.
“But if employees feel pressured into unionizing,” he continued. “A strike could result in animal welfare issues and irreversible damages to crops.
Much of the changes which will result from Bill 17 will not take effect until January 2018.
– Posted by BET
