By Dan Darrah “Those dreams of staying in Canada are now gone,” said Marco Lucinao of migrant work advocacy group Migrante Alberta. The April 1, 2015 deadline for citizenship sent scores of temporary foreign workers back to their home countries. The Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program was instituted in 1973 as a way to alleviate Continue readingWhile the TFW program has to go, the workers deserve the right to stay
migrant workers
Canada is one of the major destinations of migrant workers from many countries, including the Philippines. On April 1, the Canadian government initiated the criminalization and mass deportation of temporary foreign workers (TFWs). This shows the vulnerability of TFWs as the ultimate cheap and disposable workforce. Forgotten in the heated public debate is the real Continue readingWeekend Video: Precarious work without borders
By Sonia Singh It’s been a whirlwind spring of precedent-setting wins for North America’s migrant workers, who are making connections across borders. After three months of strikes and protests, 30,000 berry pickers in Baja California, Mexico, won raises of up to $4 a day and rights to social security benefits and overtime pay. These workers, Continue readingHow Migrant Farmworkers Are Cross-Pollinating Strategies and Winning
Solidarity with foreign and migrant workers: Interviews with Syed Hussan and Caitlin Craven R&F.ca has launched its Spring fundraising drive. Our goal is to raise $6,660 by May 1, 2015. Click here to find out how you can donate. By Andrew Stevens Once again, migrant and foreign workers in Canada are being victimized by the federal government’s Continue readingFighting the 4 and 4
By the Coalition Against Precarious Work An official request was made on September 25th, 2014 by the members of the Coalition Against Precarious Work to have a meeting with Quebec’s Minister of Labour, Sam Hamad, which was scheduled for February 23rd, 2015. The meeting never happened, so we held a protest instead. Initially, we asked Continue readingMinister dodges meeting with the Coalition Against Precarious Work
Two temporary foreign workers who exposed employer abuses of the TFW Program are now facing deportation. With the help of USW Local 9346, the workers at a Fernie, B.C., Tim Horton’s launched an RCMP and Employment Standards Branch investigation into their former employer, Pierre Pelletier, back in 2013. The franchise owner was accused by employees of wage Continue readingUSW Local 9346: Solidarity with TFWs in British Columbia
Quebec pensions fight | Tembec strike | How WSIB has failed | Sexual harassment in the workplace | Rail fatigue | Western Canada workplace safety | Ste-Thérèse Paccar lockout | Muzzled scientists at bargaining table | Green jobs vs tar sands Quebec unions slam pension bill, vow new round of protests Marian Scott, Montreal Gazette Continue readingR&F’s Labour News Update – December 8, 2014
Part 2 of How the WSIB is Failing the Injured Workers of Ontario By Samantha Ponting On Dec. 3, a group of injured workers and their allies gathered in front of the Ontario Ministry of Labour on University Avenue in Toronto to demand action on medical coverage for injured workers. The workers handed out band Continue readingThe WSIB’s Austerity Agenda: Deporting Injured Migrant Workers
The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is a coalition of national migrant worker groups, grassroots organizations, unions, faith groups, activists and researchers that have come together to fight for justice and dignity for migrant workers. This month they coordinated a speaking tour of migrant workers talking about their experiences and challenges. The breaking barriers, migrant Continue readingWeekend Video: Migrant workers speaking tour
Nova Scotia’s Bill 1 | US Steel | Montreal firefighters | Saskatoon transit lockout | EI Reform | Migrant farm workers | Lac-Mégantic & rail safety | Edmonton senior care workers | Mount Pearl lockout | Guelph glass strike | UWindsor tentative agreement | Hong Kong strikes for democracy Nova Scotia’s Bill 1 Nova Scotia Continue readingRankandFile.ca Labour News Update: October 6, 2014
Coming out of a productive four days of workshops and cross-union collaboration at the Peoples’ Social Forum, RankandFile.ca has developed some reflections on some of the major labour struggles panning out across the country. From the attack on BC teachers to abuse in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the public is facing its fair share Continue readingFour major battles for the Canadian labour movement
An interview with Pablo Godoy By Samantha Ponting At this June’s Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) Semi-Annual General Meeting, a motion was served from a Toronto local calling for the CFS to take a position in opposition to the Temporary Foreign Workers’ Program (TFWP), noting that “the Temporary Foreign Workers Program has grown infamous for Continue readingBroadening the Debate on Precarious Work