Workers Detail Problems of the Seasonal
Agricultural Worker Program

Justice for Migrant Workers has outlined the most prominent concerns raised by workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program:

- Working 12-15 hours without overtime or holiday pay;
- Denial of necessary breaks;
- Using dangerous chemicals/pesticides with no safety equipment/protection or training;
- Being crammed into substandard housing with leaking sewage and inadequate washrooms;
- Overt racism from certain people, sometimes resulting in physical altercations;
- Acute pay discrimination between migrant and non-migrant workforce;
- Unfair paycheck deductions such as EI and other services, which they have little or no chance to access;
- Inadequate attention to concerns and other necessary services;
- Exclusion from basic human rights legislation, such as Health and Safety Legislation and most aspects of the Employment Standards Act;
- Prohibited from collective bargaining and joining unions;
- Inadequate representation in policy making and contract disputes;
- Unable to claim residency status or obtain educational opportunities for children despite extensive years of work in Canada;
- Lack of appeal process when employers repatriate workers to their home country;
- Barriers to essential services due to language and location;
- Lack of basic ESL training;
- Gender discrimination, including few opportunities for female workers and the fact that women are heavily controlled and disciplined in various ways by employers.

This article was published in

Volume 49 Number 15 - April 27, 2019

Article Link:
Workers Detail Problems of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

    

Website:  www.cpcml.ca   Email:  editor@cpcml.ca