Our Main Demands

Right to Employment Insurance: In 2001 it was estimated that migrant farm workers put into the EI fund over $11 million a year yet they are denied to apply for returns from this program. The federal government must create a regime whereby migrant farm workers can claim employment insurance. 

Right to regularization: Workers must have the right to apply for citizenship in Canada. Since 1966, workers have been simply seen as a labour force that is brought and then returned after their contract is over. Many workers win the right to apply for Canadian citizenship. The government must listen to their needs and implement a process whereby workers can apply for status in Canada. 

The Right to be treated with respect and dignity: Workers consider themselves to be an invisible workforce that have little clout when dealing with either employers or governmental officials. It is essential that migrant farm workers are covered by legislative protection that guarantees minimum labour standards. This must include full coverage under Ontario's Employment Standards Act, fair and decent housing, the right to form unions and the right to social and economic mobility in Canada. 

Right to Appeal: Workers have complained that they work in virtual bondage. Several workers have documented cases where their colleagues have faced reprisal for standing up to demand better work and living conditions. Reprisals take the form of premature repatriations where workers are sent home usually at their own expense. An appeal process must be implemented to guarantee that migrant farm workers have the right to a fair and impartial process where they can tell their side of the story.