Temporary Foreign Workers on Speaking Tour Across Ontario

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 6, 2014) - Members of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Canada's largest migrant rights coalition, are taking to the road visiting six cities in Southern Ontario calling for the right to permanent residency on arrival, and equal access to provincial rights and protections. The tour consists of three migrant workers from the Live-In Caregiver Program, the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the Temporary Foreign Workers Program respectively, and is happening on the heels of immense changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and the Live-In Caregiver Program which has locked workers in to bad jobs, and made it harder to get permanent residency.

Background

• Few pathway exists for low-waged, racialized families to immigrate to Canada, leaving temporary migration as the only available choice.
• Migrant Workers are tied to the employer listed on their permits, and cannot change jobs easily.
• Migrant Workers cannot apply for permanent residency - except for Live-In Caregivers
• As of Nov 30, 2014, there will be a cap on how many Caregivers can get Permanent Residency.
• As of June 2014, migrant workers in retail, hospitality and similar industries cannot change jobs in areas of unemployment over 6%.
• As of April 01, 2015, Migrant Workers will only be allowed to work for four years in Canada, and then banned for the next four.
• Many agricultural workers are not covered by Employment Standards protections, including minimum wage, public holiday pay and more.
• Employer provided housing is not regulated.
• Most workers have no healthcare for the first three months of being in Ontario, and often longer.
• Most workers do not get medical support or lost wages for injuries on the job.
• Migrant workers pay between $3,000 - $10,000 to recruiters. Ontario does not license recruiters.

Source

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change

www.migrantworkersalliance.org