UFCW Canada, MRCC deliver new workshop on labour rights
Toronto – October 29, 2019 – UFCW Canada activists recently delivered a workshop on immigration, labour law, and workplace rights in collaboration with the Migrants Resource Center Canada (MRCC). The event attracted students from various colleges and universities in the Greater Toronto Area, participants from Philippine Migrants of Barrie and Migrate Canada, and a number of labour activists.
At the event, Sol Pajadura of Migrante Canada led a discussion on the history of migration to North America and explored the range of factors that inspired Filipino migrants to immigrate to Canada from the 1970s to the present. The workshop also examined the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)and its impact on Canada’s agricultural, hospitality, and service sectors.
During the workshop, UFCW Canada National Representative Alex Banaag distributed information on the rising number of temporary agency workers in workplaces throughout Ontario, which has led to an increase in precarious work and an uptick in workplace accidents and deaths. Brother Banaag also discussed labour laws in Ontario, focusing on the recent changes to the Employment Standard Act and explaining how workers can join the union.
The immigration and labour policy workshop was part of the IMPACT Series – a collaboration project between MRCC and UFCW Canada aimed at raising awareness of workplace rights among migrant workers, temporary residents, and new Canadians.
“These workshops are free, and our objective is to provide participants with an opportunity to gain a basic understanding of relevant laws and learn their rights as workers in Canada,” says Jesson Reyes, Managing Director of the MRCC.
For more than three decades, UFCW has led the fight for migrant workers’ rights in Canada. In collaboration with the Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA), UFCW Canada operates a national, on-the-ground network of Worker Support Centres with staff and volunteers helping thousands of migrant workers navigate and enforce their current legal rights and entitlements, as well as providing health and safety and “know your rights” training. To learn more about this important work, click here.
How can I enforce my rights at work?
If you are a migrant worker who is experiencing abuse from an employer or unsafe working conditions, contact us toll-free at 1-877-778-7565. All contact with UFCW Canada is treated as strictly confidential.
