Migrant Workers Alliance for Change Press Conference
To draw attention to the situation of migrant
workers and the demands of Canadians for permanent immigration status
for all migrant workers, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC)
held a press conference outside the Toronto constituency office of
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on November 12. Speakers at the
press
conference were Syed Hussen, Executive Director of MWAC, Luis Gabriel
Flores, a migrant worker from Mexico, and John So, Employment Lawyer at
Parkdale Legal Services. The following are excerpts from their remarks:
Syed Hussan: "We are here today because Gabriel
Flores has won a historic legal claim against his employer, Scotlynn
Farms. Mr. Flores was awarded $25,000 by the Ontario Labour Relations
Board [OLRB] because his multi-millionaire bosses at Scotlynn Farms dismissed
him for speaking up for his co-workers, for asking for his rights, for
speaking
up for co-workers sick with COVID-19, for asking for accountability and
for speaking to the media.
"...It is the federal government that is truly
responsible for what Mr. Flores and countless other migrant workers
have suffered and the only real compensation and repatriation possible
is a change in federal immigration laws providing full and permanent
immigration status for all. That is why we are here outside the Deputy
Prime Minister's
office, calling on the federal government to act."
 He pointed out
that with the second wave of COVID-19 hitting farms now there are over 85 infected
workers on Ontario farms and that "What happened to Mr. Flores could be
happening right now to any of these workers" and that "intimidation,
violence, abuse and exploitation will continue as long as employers
have the power to terminate any workers
who stand up for their rights" and called on the federal government to
"ensure full and permanent immigration status for all so that migrants
have the same rights as everyone else in this country."
Luis Gabriel Flores: "I am here to celebrate a
historic victory for migrant workers in Canada. While at this time we
have won a battle, we have to keep fighting for equal rights for all
migrant workers in this country.... We want permanent residency so we
can defend ourselves and get the respect and equality that we derive.
We want permanent
residency because we want to reunite with our families and to be able
to receive the medical attention we deserve. And we need decent
housing." He said that his win at the Labour Relations Board did not mean that
the situation had changed for his former co-workers and urged others --
"Do not be afraid. Dare to raise your voice" and to reach
out to
organizations like MWAC for assistance and support.
John So: "This is the first case that the OLRB has
heard with respect to migrant farm workers who have been penalized and
fired for speaking out about working conditions. What is astounding
isn't that we won the case. What is astounding is that it took so long
for us to have a decision
relating to this issue. People who work with migrant workers have known
for decades, it has been an open secret that any migrant worker who
speaks out is sent home, penalized of fired or isn't invited back next
season." He said that even though Mr. Flores has won his case the same
conditions that allowed Mr. Flores to be exploited and to be
penalized still exist, and that the OLRB, as a reactive institution,
can only respond to those who are able to present a case and that is
not something that thousands of workers are able to do. He ended by
saying that "The only way we can prevent what happened to Mr. Flores
from happening again is to eliminate, change, reform, the system that
causes this exploitation, this precarious situation, this
marginalization to occur."
This article was published in
Number 80 - November 26, 2020
Article Link:
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change Press Conference
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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