Scores of temporary foreign workers deported by Ontario agri-complex

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Ufcw-Canada-927563.html

Dec 06, 2008 11:37 ET
Scores of temporary foreign workers deported by Ontario agri-complex
More than 70 Mexican and Jamaican agriculture workers at multi-million dollar Ontario mushroom farm are fired, evicted and face defacto deportation

CAMPBELLVILLE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 6, 2008) -

More than 70 Mexican and Jamaican agriculture workers working at a mushroom grow house facility outside of Guelph were fired without notice on December 6 by Rol-Land Farms, a $50 million-a-year, privately owned industrial agricultural corporation that operates a number of mushroom growing operations across Canada. No reason was given for the firings.

The workers who are in Canada on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, championed by the Harper government, have also been evicted from the housing provided to them by Rol-Land and are in the process of being repatriated.

"No company should have the right to treat human beings like disposable farm tools," explained Chris Ramsaroop of Justicia for Migrant Workers, an advocacy group that works with migrant workers across Canada. He added, "these workers have lost everything over night: their jobs, their housing and even their ability to stay and work in Canada. Rol-Land Farms didn't even issue their employees notices."

Wayne Hanley, the National President of UFCW Canada stated, "the Temporary Foreign Workers program has been designed to allow an employer to have complete power over a worker. In this case Rol-Land Farms was not only the employer but also the landlord and defacto deportation agent."

"The workers had to make the impossible choice of taking a paid plane ticket back on Saturday or having no plane ticket if they decided to stay," explained Hanley. "With no housing and no access to other employment many of them are left with no choice but to concede to immediate repatriation."

"We cannot tolerate such treatment of workers in this country," said Hanley. We can't allow the expansion of programs that create second class residents and workers."

FULL story at link.