NDP Demanding Public Inquiry To Outbreaks At Cargill And JBS

Premier Jason Kenney says his government followed the advice of provincial health officials in dealing with outbreaks a year ago, at meat packing plants in southern Alberta.

 

The opposition NDP is again demanding a full public inquiry into the outbreaks at Cargill and JBS about a year ago. "Blaming the workers for the health and safety hazards they faced because they went to work each and every day to provide important front line services for all Albertans, and then turning around and blaming workers for that, that is classic rejection of your obligation to keep working people safe," shares NDP Leader Rachel Notley.  "It's the kind of game playing you saw from employers a hundred years ago."

 

Hundreds of workers got sick and at least 3 died. The Cargill plant was shut down for two weeks. Premier Kenney says local health officials worked closely with both plants during the outbreaks and his office was briefed on a regular basis.

 

"All I can tell you, in my position, i received briefings from the public health branch of the department of health about the situation with those meat packing plant outbreaks.  That was the source of my knowledge and anything that I, or the government, communicated," comments Premier Jason Kenny.  "I'm not sure what the basis of that allegation is, all I can tell you is that the government was transparent about what we knew about the situation based on reports we got on the ground coming from the regional public medical personnel that were working with the employer and the union.  I'm glad that those plants have been operating safely for about nine months with being able to give good employment to thousands of Albertans.  I think they have had a small number of cases since then but I think it's a great credit to the workers, the unions, the employers, working in collaboration with the health officials to learn from those lessons in the spring." 

 

There was an outbreak of COVID recently at the Olymel pork plant in Red Deer. At least 500 employees got sick and four died.  That plant was shut for more than 2 weeks.

Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.