
Bob Barnetson
Dr. Bob Barnetson is a professor of labour relations at Athabasca University. His research focuses on the political economy of workplace injury, farm workers, and child labour in Alberta. He’s the author of The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada (Athabasca University Press, 2010), co-editor of Farm Workers in Western Canada: Injustices and Activism (University of Alberta Press, 2016), co-author of Health and Safety in Canadian Workplaces (Athabasca University Press, 2016), and author of Canada’s Labour Market Training System (Athabasca University Press, 2018).
Authored by Bob Barnetson
'Not a cutting-edge, lead-the-country reform': An overview of the changes proposed in Bill 17
blog | May 29, 2017Bill 17 would introduce the first substantive changes to Alberta's labour legislation in 30 years. Bob Barnetson looks at what the new rules would mean for Alberta workers.
Farm worker injury study bolsters arguments for farm safety legislation
blog | Feb 24, 2017A 2015 report prepared for the former Progressive Conservative government and released after a freedom of information request reveals the extent of farm worker injuries and a lack of adequate insurance coverage for paid employees on farms.
Are Bill 6 recommendations about saving lives or saving money?
blog | Jan 05, 2017Bill 6 (the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act) extends basic occupational health and safety rights to paid Alberta farm workers, but recommendations from a government-appointed working group on employment standards would weaken those basic protections.
Buried and Forgotten: Newspaper Coverage of Workplace Injury and Death in Alberta
research | Apr 27, 2016Newspapers are one of the main public sources of information about workplace injuries and fatalities, but the analysis in this report suggests Alberta newspaper articles are creating an inaccurate picture of workplace incidents.
The essentials of Alberta's new essential services bill
blog | Mar 16, 2016The provincial government has introduced Bill 4, which gives most public sector workers the right to strike for the first time in decades. Athabasca University labour relations professor Bob Barnetson looks at what impact the legislation could have on labour relations with the province's workers.
Bill 6 will right a long-standing wrong
blog | Dec 08, 2015The Alberta government's Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, has become the most contentious legislation of NDP government's short tenure. Athabasca University professor of labour relations Bob Barnetson looks at five of the main arguments against the bill.
Five ways Alberta can improve its regressive labour laws
blog | Nov 25, 2015Alberta’s regressive labour laws have played an important role in making Alberta the least unionized province in Canada. Athabasca University associate professor of labour relations Bob Barnetson outlines five potential changes that could ensure workers in the province can exercise their associational rights.
Illegal and Injurious: How Alberta Has Failed Teen Workers
research | Sep 08, 2015Most Albertans will hold a job at some point during their teen years. Yet teens employed in Alberta face widespread illegality and injury on the job, and Alberta does not effectively enforce the employment laws that are supposed to protect teen workers, including the Employment Standards Code and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
A Dirty Business: The Exclusion of Alberta Farm Workers From Injury Compensation
research | Jan 15, 2015Alberta farm workers are excluded from workers' compensation protection, despite facing a high risk of workplace injury, including developing occupational cancer. This report examines why the Alberta government continues this exclusion.
On the Job: Why Unions Matter in Alberta
research | May 21, 2014By focusing on the impact of unions in the areas of wages, worker safety, and income inequality, this report documents the contributions of the labour movement to ensuring the well-being of all Albertans.