UFCW Canada empowers migrant workers in Leamington with workshops on workplace and 2SLGBTQ+ rights

Leamington, Ont. – June 25, 2024 – UFCW Canada recently hosted informative workshops at the UFCW Canada Agriculture Workers Support Centre in Leamington, Ontario, focusing on workplace rights and 2SLGBTQ+ rights tailored specifically for migrant workers. These workshops, held in collaboration with local community organizations, aimed to empower and educate workers on their rights in the workplace, including issues pertinent to the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Leamington, Ontario, known for its robust agricultural industry, attracts many migrant workers who contribute greatly to the local economy. However, these workers often face challenges related to working conditions, safety, and understanding their legal rights. UFCW Canada’s initiative aims to address these issues head-on by providing essential information and resources to empower workers and ensure their well-being while in Canada.

The workshops covered a range of topics essential for migrant workers, such as employment standards, health and safety regulations, and protections against discrimination. Importantly, the sessions also focused on 2SLGBTQ+ rights, ensuring that all workers, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, felt included and supported in their workplaces.

Community organizations who gave presentations include the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples, Latinos Positivos, Battista Migration Law Group, and the Community Legal Clinic of York Region.

Since 2002, the UFCW Canada Agriculture Workers Support Centre in Leamington, Ontario has been a community beacon and has helped tens of thousands of workers with fundamental labour rights violations, compensation claims, scheduling, pay issues, referral to legal counsel, health and safety training, CPP claims, unfair treatment, unsafe housing, and working conditions. UFCW Canada also assists migrant food workers in accessing open work permits and pathways to permanent residency, such as the Agri-Food Pilot, which UFCW Canada was instrumental in securing for migrant food workers.

For more than three decades, UFCW Canada has led the fight for migrant workers’ rights. To learn more about this advocacy and the reforms that are urgently needed, see UFCW Canada’s report: The Status of Migrant Farm Workers in Canada, 2023.