August 20th is Farmworker Day in Alberta. This day is one to remember farmworkers who have been killed on the job, including many children. These workers do not enjoy the same protection under the law that every other Albertan worker enjoys. Farmworkers are not eligible for workers compensation and their employers are not subject to occupational health and safety protocols. This leads inevitably to an unsafe work environment. These are protections that Albertans take for granted in their workplaces. Why have these protections not been afforded to farmworkers?
For years now the Official Opposition and I have worked with Alberta’s farmworkers to afford them these protections and fight for equal rights. As a part of this fight and to commemorate those farmworkers who died while working, my office and those of my colleagues Laurie Blakeman and Kevin Taft will be accepting food bank donations from August 16-30 in the name of Alberta’s farmworkers.
I would like to challenge all MLAs of all political stripes to accept food donations to commemorate Farmworker Day and to join our call for equal protection and rights for all of Alberta’s workers.