UFCW Canada supports new report calling for national housing standards for migrant agricultural workers

Toronto – May 9, 2025 – UFCW Canada is proud to support the release of a groundbreaking new report calling for the establishment of enforceable national housing standards for migrant agricultural workers across Canada. Developed by a coalition of over 20 academic researchers, clinicians, and advocates, the report outlines a bold, evidence-based framework to ensure safe, healthy, and dignified housing for the workers who help feed the country.

For decades, UFCW Canada has led the fight for justice, safety, and improved labour standards for agricultural workers. This new report reinforces what the union and its allies have long asserted: that current housing conditions for migrant workers are often substandard, overcrowded, and dangerous, and that meaningful reform is long overdue.

The report provides clear recommendations for national housing standards tied to enforcement, health and safety, privacy, and access to essential services. It calls for an end to employer-controlled living arrangements that isolate workers and compromise their rights, and instead advocates for well-regulated, climate-safe housing with sufficient space, sanitation, and personal privacy.

UFCW Canada believes that any solution must facilitate a transition toward broader-based and sectoral bargaining models, ensuring that workers' voices are heard not just at the individual employer level but across the entire agri-food industry.

Last year, UFCW Canada released its own report, which highlights the urgent need for reform across the sector. The report documents the unsafe and often exploitative conditions migrant workers face—including inadequate housing, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and limited access to healthcare—describing the system as a "contemporary form of slavery." Drawing on field research and worker testimonials, the UFCW report calls for immediate reforms, including the right to unionize, reduced pesticide exposure, and stronger protections for worker health and safety.

UFCW Canada continues to fight for the fundamental rights of all agri-food workers, including the right to unionize, earn a living wage, and live in dignity. The union urges federal leaders to adopt and implement the report’s recommendations as part of a broader commitment to equity and justice for migrant workers.

To read the full report, visit: https://farmworkerhousing.ca/national-housing-standards/