A History of UFCW’s advocacy for agricultural workers

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The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)

Canada has seen a continuous expansion of the migrant and temporary foreign work force in corporate agriculture under federal programs that deliver migrant workers to employers, and then essentially abandon them to fend for themselves.

It is an employer-driven system, assisted by the government, where many workers must accept danger and exploitation if they want to work in Canada. If they raise concerns, they are typically deported without a hearing or right of appeal and blacklisted from ever returning. It is our experience that the vulnerability of both domestic and migrant workers to employer abuse is directly reinforced by their inability to organize and compel employers to collectively bargain in good faith.

“A breeding ground for contemporary slavery”

In 2024, the United Nations released a report condemning Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker program in a scathing indictment as a “breeding ground for contemporary slavery.” The report many of the same criticisms that UFCW has been issuing for decades about systemic exploitation within the system. The report by Tomoya Obokata, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, specifically calls special attention to the lack of trade union rights for migrant workers in Canada.

In 2024, the Federal government released several reports in response to the UN criticism; UFCW participated in the development of these reports as a key stakeholder. While the reports highlighted many of the concerns about the temporary foreign worker programs, the proposed solutions are insufficient for guaranteeing full labour rights for migrant workers. Read the UFCW responses to the respective reports below:

UFCW maintains that it is vital to phase out Employer-Specific work permits, that any reform must ensure migrant workers have a right to representation and collective bargaining, and that more pathways to permanent residency must be created for agricultural workers.

Reforms to the TFWP must prioritize social dialogue: social dialogue is a core pillar of the International Labour Organization’s right to decent work as outlined in their Decent Work Guidelines for Agri-Food Sector. Social dialogue brings together labour, employers, and the government in a tripartite structure to explore and discuss issues of common interest and discover solutions. This is crucial for any sectoral model to have representatives from all social partners working together at the table..