Migrant workers

Access to services for temporary residents

Resolution number
4
Whereas
  1. Canada relies on the labour of migrant workers including those with closed work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and their family members, international students (“workers with temporary and precarious status”);
  2. The number of workers with temporary and precarious status in Canada has been increasing steadily for two decades;
  3. IRCC-funded services currently exclude workers with temporary and precarious status;
  4. Workers with temporary and precarious status are not eligible for the vast majority of government-subsidized legal services;
  5. Issues of exploitation and abuse of workers with temporary and precarious status are documented and systemic;
  6. Systemic abuse in the recruitment and migration processes creates vulnerabilities for many workers with temporary and precarious status, and lack of access to services exacerbates vulnerabilities they may experience;
  7. Workers with temporary and precarious status have limited to no access to subsidized legal services which they require when seeking recourse for abuse and exploitation;
  8. The support needs of workers with temporary and precarious status vary according to a diversity of identities, including gender and sexual identity;
  9. Economic and Social Development Canada is responsible jointly with IRCC for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and funds the Migrant Worker Support Program;
  10. IRCC is responsible for issuing work permits under Canada’s temporary migration work and study programs;
  11. CCR has long advocated for access to adequate services for refugees and migrants, including access to legal aid from competent legal professionals; (See Resolution 2 May 01 1999; Res. 1 June 01 2019).

 

Therefore be it resolved

that:

  1. All workers with temporary and precarious status in Canada have access to IRCC-funded settlement services;
  2. ESDC funding for support services for migrant workers must be renewed and increased on an ongoing basis;
  3. Federal and provincial governments fund access to legal aid services for workers with temporary and precarious status seeking access to justice;
  4. These services must be adapted to meet the intersectional needs of this population.

 

Regional Forum on Migrant Worker Issues

Date

This full-day meeting will offer an opportunity for participants from a variety of sectors such as settlement, human rights, labour and grassroots migrant justice organizing to gather together with migrant workers and share information and strategies on providing support to and advocating for the rights of migrant workers.

The meeting takes place directly after the CCR Spring Consultation, June 1-3, at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

Host (organizer of event)
Canadian Council for Refugees and Migrante Alberta
Time
9h à 16h
CCR-or-not
Taxonomy upgrade extras

National Forum on Migrant Worker Issues 2016

Date

This full-day meeting will be a skill-share and strategy session for migrant workers and people in diverse sectors across Canada that work with and/or advocate for the rights of migrant workers.

The objectives of this meeting are:

Host (organizer of event)
Canadian Council for Refugees
Time
9h - 17h
CCR-or-not
Taxonomy upgrade extras

Extending labour protections to all workers

Resolution number
3
Whereas
  1. In Canada, some workers are excluded from labour protections such as labour standards and workers compensation, health and safety protections and effective anti-reprisals protections, based on their immigration status;
  2. Some jurisdictions in Canada explicitly exclude categories of workers such as domestic workers and agricultural workers, who are disproportionately migrant workers; 
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR advocate that all workers regardless of status in Canada and of type of work have access to the full range of labour rights and protections, including provincial labour and employment standards, health and safety standards, and workers compensation.

Subject

Right to unionize and to bargain collectively

Resolution number
2
Whereas
  1. The freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are internationally recognized as fundamental principles and rights in the workplace;
  2. Some jurisdictions in Canada effectively prevent workers from unionizing or collectively bargaining based on their immigration status or sector of employment;
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR advocate that all workers, regardless of sector of employment or immigration status in Canada, have the right to unionize and to bargain collectively.

Subject

Expanding economic immigration to workers of all skill levels

Resolution number
1
Whereas
  1. The rampant expansion and continuous demand for the low-skilled (now low-wage) streams of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) make it clear that the labour shortages being filled are long-term and not temporary;
  2. The 2011 rule limiting migrant workers in the low-wage stream of the TFWP (previously known as the low-skilled pilot project) to four years of work in Canada, was intended to reinforce the temporary nature of the program, despite the continuing nature of the demand;
  3. The above time limits, which only apply to workers in the low-wage stream, exacerbate existing vulnerabilities;
  4. Canada’s traditional immigration approach was focused on nation-building through permanent immigration that met the broad range of labour needs across the Canadian economy; all workers were part of the national project;
  5. Canada’s shift towards temporary labour migration promotes a two-tiered, stratified society;
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR call for Canada’s economic immigration program to be expanded to reflect the broad social, cultural, linguistic and environmental needs of the Canadian labour market by including workers of all skill levels.

Subject

Caregivers, Live-in Status and Family Reunification

Resolution number
4
Whereas
  1. The live-in caregiver program currently requires workers to live in the employer’s home;
  2. Living in the employer’s home creates a greater possibility for sexual and labour exploitation;
  3. The program does not allow family members to accompany the worker until they fulfill their required hours, thereby leading to family separation for a minimum period of 2 years;
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR request that:

  1. The "live-in” requirement be removed from the conditions of the program;
  2. Caregivers’ families be allowed to accompany them or join them in Canada at any point during their participation in the program.

Temporary Work Permits – Rights of workers

Resolution number
4
Whereas
  1. Workers on temporary work permits are not aware of their rights under the program and the charter;
  2. Many workers are not permitted by employers to retain their personal documentation such as passport, return air ticket and health card.
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR demand that CIC and HRSDC:

  1. Ensure that temporary workers are fully informed of their rights under the program before or when they enter Canada;
  2. Ensure that temporary workers are given control of their own papers.
Subject

Temporary Work Permits – Terms and conditions

Resolution number
3
Whereas
  1. CIC changes the terms and conditions of temporary work permit programs every year;
  2. This information is not made available to NGOs or others that try to assist individuals on temporary work permits.
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR demand that CIC to make any change in terms and conditions publicly available as soon as such changes are made.

Subject