Migrant Workers come together for Summer Festival

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Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. – June 11, 2015 – Hundreds of migrant agriculture workers from around the world joined community activists for the 7th Annual Summer Festival and Information Fair for Migrant Farm Workers in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The event was organized by the Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA) and the Niagara Migrant Worker Interest Group.

Festival-goers had the opportunity to access health services, legal counsel and support, and critical health and safety training, as well as important information regarding labour rights and English as a Second Language courses. The festival also included music, games, and a raffle draw for bicycles and other gifts donated by community sponsors.

"This year was bigger and better than ever," says Stan Raper, National Co-ordinator of the AWA. "The event has grown tremendously since its inception and it goes to show that there is a need for these vital services for migrant workers," Raper adds.

Often facing extreme hardships, dangerous working conditions, and a lack of access to adequate health and transportation, agriculture workers continue to be denied the right to join a union in Ontario.

For over a decade, UFCW Canada has worked tirelessly with the AWA in the ongoing struggle to secure basic human rights for agriculture workers across Canada. The AWA has more than 12,000 members and operates multiple support centres where agriculture workers can gain access to free training, legal representation, and health and safety services.