Report Blames Alberta Government for Failing to Protect Cargill Workers During 2020 COVID Outbreak

Researchers at the Parkland Institute published a 128-page analysis titled “Essential and Expendable,” concluding that Alberta’s pandemic response disastrously failed Cargill employees at the High River beef-processing plant. Between early April and mid-May 2020, roughly half of the 2,000-person workforce contracted COVID-19, resulting in two fatalities, 18 hospitalisations and about 950 infections, making it one of North America’s largest industrial outbreaks.

The report, based on hundreds of government emails obtained via FOIA, says the province’s Occupational Health and Safety regulator ceded responsibility to Alberta Health Services, which issued safety advice that was never enforced. It also criticises Cargill’s incentive program that paid workers to attend work even with symptoms, and rejects officials’ claims that the spread stemmed mainly from crowded housing. Alberta’s Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration and Cargill issued statements saying they will consider the report’s recommendations, which include a public apology, legislative changes, and an audit of OHS practices. Union leader Thomas Hesse said the findings will bolster upcoming collective-bargaining talks focused on health and safety.