Toronto, Ont. — UFCW Canada joined community and social justice groups on December 2 in a National Day of Action for Migrant Workers that saw activists gather in cities across the country to blow the whistle on the Conservative Stephen Harper government’s failure to provide real protections for the most vulnerable people in Canada’s workforce.

The protest, including activists from UFCW Canada Locals 175, 1000A and other community allies focused on the federal government’s proposed changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program that will increase instability and unfairness for the already exploited migrant workforce by limiting their ability to stay in Canada beyond a four-year period and barring them from returning to the country for six years.

“Migrant workers make an indispensible contribution to some of Canada’s most important industries, like food production,” says UFCW Canada Local 1000A President Kevin Corporon, who joined a large group of activists at the Toronto demonstration.

“Our federal government has a responsibility to make sure migrant workers are treated with the same respect and dignity that all Canadians expect and demand.  The proposed regulatory changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program won’t do that, so we’re here, with our community partners, to make a stand for basic fairness.”

For more photos from the rally visit www.facebook.com/ufcwcanada .