COVID-19 Pandemic and Structural Barriers for Migrant Agricultural Workers in Ontario

COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated many longstanding barriers and shortcomings in labour protections for migrant workers in Canada. This paper focuses on the situation of workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) in Ontario, demonstrating how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and greatly aggravated the already precarious conditions of migrant workers. It explores the employment, labour and immigration law frameworks that render SAWP workers particularly vulnerable to exploitation and harm, both during pandemic and non-pandemic times. While some government policy and legislative responses have sought to respond to the increased vulnerability of migrant agricultural workers to the virus, fundamental changes in both the immigration and labour spheres are necessary to fix the structural causes of migrant agricultural workers’ vulnerability. This paper suggest that the pandemic has created not only an unprecedented urgency for systemic change, but also an unprecedented opportunity. Given the current broad shifts in public ideas about employment, health, and vulnerability, as well as mainstream public attention to the plight of migrant farm workers, I suggest that there is now an unprecedented space in Canadian public policy discourse to advance the urgently needed structural changes to protect the rights of migrant farm workers.

Cosmopolitan county: migrant farm workers' impact on the agricultural community of Leamington

Migrant farm workers are behind-the-scenes backbone of Canada's agricultural economy. Despite their significant role within the food production industry, the outer public is typically unfamiliar with their contributions, experiences, and even their presence in Canada. Many researchers agree that workers arriving through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program hold a precarious status, primarily due to the invisibility of their plight to the rest of Canada. In Leamington, Ontario, large-scale greenhouse operations call for thousands of workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to grow vegetables year-round. This study sought to gain an understanding of the relationship between migrant workers and community members by surveying and interviewing Leamington residents. While worker visibility and local familiarity with the presence of migrant workers is heightened in the Essex County region, the quality of social interactions was found to be severely limited. The implications were found to involve social marginalization, culture clash, and racial stereotyping.

Plus ça Change? – A Comparative Analysis of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the Pilot Foreign Worker Program for Farm Workers in Quebec

For the last 40 years, migrant farm workers from the Caribbean and Mexico have been recruited to work temporarily on Canadian farms under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). In 2002, the pilot Foreign Worker Program (FWP) for low skilled migrant workers was initiated in the province of Quebec and under this program began the recruitment of Guatemalan migrant farm workers. Since the program's start, the number of Guatemalan migrants has nearly tripled and there seems to be a decline in the number of workers hired under the SAWP in Quebec. This paper examines the FWP's development, set-up, consequences and operation alongside the SAWP and shows how the Canadian state is expanding the number of flexibility and temporary worker programs. This paper draws attention to the neo-liberal context of migrant farm labour in Canada, pointing to the ways in which Canada's federal policies governing seasonal agricultural migrants and athe agricultural labour market are exploitative and racist.

Cosmopolitan county: migrant farm workers' impact on the agricultural community of Leamington

Migrant farm workers are behind-the-scenes backbone of Canada's agricultural economy. Despite their significant role within the food production industry, the outer public is typically unfamiliar with their contributions, experiences, and even their presence in Canada. Many researchers agree that workers arriving through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program hold a precarious status, primarily due to the invisibility of their plight to the rest of Canada. In Leamington, Ontario, large-scale greenhouse operations call for thousands of workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to grow vegetables year-round. This study sought to gain an understanding of the relationship between migrant workers and community members by surveying and interviewing Leamington residents. While worker visibility and local familiarity with the presence of migrant workers is heightened in the Essex County region, the quality of social interactions was found to be severely limited. The implications were found to involve social marginalization, culture clash, and racial stereotyping.

Plus ça Change? – A Comparative Analysis of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the Pilot Foreign Worker Program for Farm Workers in Quebec

For the last 40 years, migrant farm workers from the Caribbean and Mexico have been recruited to work temporarily on Canadian farms under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). In 2002, the pilot Foreign Worker Program (FWP) for low skilled migrant workers was initiated in the province of Quebec and under this program began the recruitment of Guatemalan migrant farm workers. Since the program's start, the number of Guatemalan migrants has nearly tripled and there seems to be a decline in the number of workers hired under the SAWP in Quebec. This paper examines the FWP's development, set-up, consequences and operation alongside the SAWP and shows how the Canadian state is expanding the number of flexibility and temporary worker programs. This paper draws attention to the neo-liberal context of migrant farm labour in Canada, pointing to the ways in which Canada's federal policies governing seasonal agricultural migrants and athe agricultural labour market are exploitative and racist.

Good Enough to Work, Not Good Enough to Stay : A Review of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

This critical literature review examines the ways in which the agricultural sector in Canada has changed from small family farming to largely mechanized and consolidated farms thus requiring the need for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). It also finds that the program was created not only for economic but also for political reasons and it continues to function for both economic and political motivations. Since the program's inception, there has been a shift from permanent to temporary migration in many industries in Canada because foreign temporary workers such as those involved in the SAWP, labour under unfree conditions making them a reliable and disposable workforce. The denial of citizenship status to seasonal agricultural workers serves to maintain their vulnerable position in the Canadian workforce. Finally it is revealed that the program is primarily beneficial for the Canadian Government and Canadian employers. Workers and sending countries receive an economic benefit from the program as well, however this impact is much more significant for the Canadian state.

Protection of Nationals Abroad : The Mexican State and the Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Canada

Due to the adverse economic conditions in Mexico and the need for offshore labour in Canadian agriculture, Mexico entered the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) in 1974 as a source country, becoming the country that exports the highest number of agricultural works to Canada. While abroad, these workers have genuine needs that should be addressed by the Mexican government, but unfortunately the Mexican government has failed to provide adequate protection to its nationals. This paper offers an overview of the situation in rural Mexico, the operational aspects of the program and its violations; it identifies the workers' needs and the most important national and international documents that regulate the protection of nationals abroad. This research is a critique of the role of the Mexican government in the protection of the seasonal agricultural workes in Canada, identifying the limitations that the State faces for providing protection to its nationals.

Good Enough to Work, Not Good Enough to Stay : A Review of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

This critical literature review examines the ways in which the agricultural sector in Canada has changed from small family farming to largely mechanized and consolidated farms thus requiring the need for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). It also finds that the program was created not only for economic but also for political reasons and it continues to function for both economic and political motivations. Since the program's inception, there has been a shift from permanent to temporary migration in many industries in Canada because foreign temporary workers such as those involved in the SAWP, labour under unfree conditions making them a reliable and disposable workforce. The denial of citizenship status to seasonal agricultural workers serves to maintain their vulnerable position in the Canadian workforce. Finally it is revealed that the program is primarily beneficial for the Canadian Government and Canadian employers. Workers and sending countries receive an economic benefit from the program as well, however this impact is much more significant for the Canadian state.

Protection of Nationals Abroad : The Mexican State and the Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Canada

Due to the adverse economic conditions in Mexico and the need for offshore labour in Canadian agriculture, Mexico entered the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) in 1974 as a source country, becoming the country that exports the highest number of agricultural works to Canada. While abroad, these workers have genuine needs that should be addressed by the Mexican government, but unfortunately the Mexican government has failed to provide adequate protection to its nationals. This paper offers an overview of the situation in rural Mexico, the operational aspects of the program and its violations; it identifies the workers' needs and the most important national and international documents that regulate the protection of nationals abroad. This research is a critique of the role of the Mexican government in the protection of the seasonal agricultural workes in Canada, identifying the limitations that the State faces for providing protection to its nationals.

It's all about needs: the role of Christian congregations in addressing the social exclusion barriers of seasonal agricultural workers

This paper examines the role of Christian congregations in addressing the social exclusion barriers experienced by seasonal agricultural workers (SAWs). This research study reviews the ways in which local churches support SAWs specifically in the Niagara Region. This paper also examines the benefits and limitations of this support and thus offers recommendations to enhance the future work of congregations in this area. This study reveals the evolving role of Christian congregations from offering only fellowship and spiritual services to SAWs to responding to their true needs in areas such as transportation, health care, language, and social inclusion. Because SAWs continue to face significant social exclusion barriers and still remain ineligible for settlement services in Ontario, it is important that congregations continue to do this work, meeting the needs of SAWs and growing in their ability as social service providers. Key words: seasonal agricultural workers (SAWs), congregations, Christian, the Niagara Region, social services, settlement support, social exclusion, needs