Labour shortages are a global issue across every sector, including Ontario’s agri-business, according to a recent survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “We found that almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of agri-business owners turned to their existing employees to work more hours due to lack of staff,” said Jasmin Guenette, the federation’s vice-president […] Read more
Tag Archives foreign workers
Chronic labour shortages increase national food security risk: study
Labour shortages trigger lost sales, lost contracts and decreased services
Activist gets new post at University of Guelph
Migrant worker proponent first activist-in-residence
Gabriel Allahdua, a migrant worker activist, is the University of Guelph’s first activist-in-residence at its Grounded and Engagement Theory Lab (GET Lab). “It’s an emerging approach in our areas of study, and our goal is to advance it,” said Monique Deveaux in a U of G release. “We hope to foster community, knowledge sharing and […] Read more
Amendments made to regulations affecting temporary foreign workers
Goal of changes is to strengthen protections, but industry given little notice
Amendments to regulations that protect temporary foreign workers came into force Sept. 26, but farmers and industry associations were given little information about them. Only a high level question and answer document was provided for the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Why it matters: Producers who employ foreign workers must comply with the […] Read more
Foreign agriculture workers key to Norfolk County orchard’s success
By valuing and providing for their workers, the Dooneys realized their dream
Courtney Davis picks apples in Canada, but he established his agricultural roots in Jamaica. His family has grown tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet peppers, yams and bananas on their land for generations, but farms in Jamaica are not as big as the one he works on in Norfolk County. Davis recently shared his experience as an international […] Read more
Report lobbies for better foreign agriculture worker rights
20 recommendations provided to ensure better representation, wage parity and labour law inclusion
A new report calls on federal and provincial governments to shore up representation, wages and health and welfare protection for foreign agri-food workers. The COVID-19 special report: The Status of Migrant Agricultural Workers in Canada 2022, issued 12 recommendations at the federal level and eight provincially, said Pablo Godoy, Western Canada regional director for United […] Read more
Migrant workers under social microscope
A recent ban on the workers hasn’t helped with community relations, say farm representatives
Frustration is growing for the Windsor-Essex agriculture sector as negative perceptions around migrant workers and COVID linger. “These workers did everything that was asked of them,” said Joseph Sbrocchi, executive director and general manager of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG). The vast majority of Temporary Foreign Agriculture Workers (TFAWs) in Ontario are double or triple […] Read more
Editorial: Worker safety and food security a balancing act
Will growers who rely on the labour of Temporary Foreign Agricultural Workers (TFAWs) face yet another season of uncertainty due to COVID-19 housing and quarantine rules? It certainly looked that way in mid-January when Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, the acting Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) issued a letter stating no […] Read more
Behind the short-lived Windsor-Essex foreign worker ban
Foreign agriculture workers were being tested at a much higher rate than the rest of the community, which inflated the numbers
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) rescinded its order limiting the arrival of temporary foreign agricultural workers within three days of issuance after the province stepped in to say it was unconstitutional. Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting Medical Officer of Health for WECHU, issued a letter of instruction Jan. 12 that paused the arrival of incoming […] Read more
Worker travel groups win award
The two organizations that share administrative and air travel responsibilities for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) have been honoured for their efforts in ensuring temporary foreign workers were able to work on Canadian fruit and vegetable farms in 2020. The Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Service – commonly known as F.A.R.M.S. – and CanAg Travel […] Read more
Comment: Vaccines need national co-ordination
The federal government should be taking a more assertive position in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines. When the first batch of vaccines arrived in Canada, Ottawa released recommendations on who should receive the first doses — but the ultimate discretion was left to individual provinces. Recommendations, according to the federal government, were made to […] Read more
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