Migrant Workers In Canada

Cundal and Seaman discuss the many ways in which the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is abused and the effects of this misuse on the workers. Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) are working jobs that should be classified as long term positions, not short term. This incorrect classification affects a worker’s salary, healthcare plan, pension, vacation pay, and sick days. Cundal and Seaman also address the ways in which TFW are more susceptible to employer abuse than other workers. Temporary Foreign Workers must apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) before switching employers, which can take up to five months; most workers cannot afford to live without a source of income for this length of time. This usually compels workers to keep serious issues private. Many workers are also uninformed about their basic rights, which often leaves them exposed to mistreatment or abuse by employers. Cundal, an immigration lawyer in Calgary and Seaman, a human rights and civil liberties researcher wrote an unbiased and fact based article using a wide variety of sources including articles, reports, and newsletters. Cundal and Seaman provided an extensive reference list in addition to footnotes to support their writing. The authors not only address the human rights issues faced by TFW’s, they also identify ways in which these issues can be resolved. Cundal and Seaman however, fail to provide information on how many TFW are affected by employer abuse and exploitation. This information is

Education along with work experience are vital resources that immigrants convey to Canada’s industry. However, this is not the scenario for many new immigrants, who struggles to get past the preliminary credentials check-up process. In 2007, a report showed that “foreign credentials of 340,000 Canadians or permanent residents of visible minorities have not been recognized” (Andrew Cardozo and Ravi Pendakur, 2007). In addition, a number of unemployed immigrants within that year accounted for the loss of $4.1B in Canada industry. In context, it shows that immigrants have a higher education than Canadian-born, “Statistics show that 47.5% of immigrants, aged 25 to 34, have completed university, compared to 26.6% of Canadian-born, workers” (Canadian government). This shows the proximity of ignorance and prejudice towards hiring an immigrant in Canada. To connect, these contempt results can give rise to many levels of distress, anxiety and psychological problems that can deteriorate and provoke health problems. A study done by Kate Strully at Harvard University concluded that “people had an increase of 81% chance to develop a mental illness after being unemployed” (KW STRULLY -

Considering the core working group of women category (25-54 years) The employment rate of recent immigrants whereas Canadian women in the same women was 57.1% compare to 69.7% of the same age group of women in total immigrant population. Whereas Canadian women in the same group would most likely to be employed with an employment rate of 79.2%. The unemployment rate for the core working group was 8.8% compare to 5.2% of native born women of same age (Women in Canada: A gender based statistical report: Tamara Hudon October 21st 2015).A statistical report of 1995 reveal that the presence of Immigrant women in construction, product fabrication or primary processing occupations are 16% compare to Canadian born women and there by 9increasing the risk of occupational safety factors. Occupational health and safety factors are also explicit concern for immigrant women working outdoors.(vis and jce,weinfield Dupree,Abdool

“An immigrant who can bring with him work for twelve people is to be welcomed with open arms even in a industrial colossus like the United States - welcomed anywhere it would seem but in Canada...Not only have the refugees brought work, but they have brought new customers”, (Document, 9).

In this documentary about Mexican’s workers experience in Ontario, Canada, Min Sook Lee addresses the issue of the Foreign Temporary Worker program. Specifically, El Contrado demonstrates how Mexicans come to Canada in order to work during several months under bad working conditions. Those workers have to leave their family constantly in order to help them financially. They work 8 months a year, which means that they are home in Mexico only for 4 months (El Contrado). Maximo left his family behind; unfortunately, he cannot even for four months in order to see his son as he is illegal in Canada. As those Mexican workers, Maximo experienced bad working conditions. Here he briefly talks about working conditions and explains how he wanted to get

Immigrants today now have the privilege of entering and residing in Canada but along with this privilege, there are also barriers that impede their integration and deprive them of equal opportunity in the society. The undervaluing of foreign education and credentials has emerged over the years as a huge obstacle faced by recent immigrants who seek employment in the areas that they have been trained, and worked in for decades in their respective home countries. For years, newcomers in Canada have been denied inclusion into the Canadian labour market simply because of policies that were

As a result of poor economy which led to extreme poverty and massive unemployment, migrant farm workers are forced to migrate from their home countries to different developed countries to work in order to make a living for themselves as well as their families. Every year, thousands of migrant farm workers from Mexico, Jamaica, Guatemala, Thailand etc. come into Canada (Bauder, Preibisch, Sutherland, & Nash, 2002). They work in almost all the provinces particularly in Ontario, and have become an important instrument in the economic viability of agriculture in parts of Canada due to the fact that Canadians are not very attracted to agricultural work. The ‘migrant farm workers’ are managed by two distinct federal programs: Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Program (SAWP) and “Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Level of Formal Training”. (Pysklywec, McLaughlin, Tew, & Haines 2011). In theory, these workers are entitled to and covered by same health coverage that every other Canadian in the province is entitled to. However, in practice, the reverse is the case; these workers have almost no access to health care facilities and suffer various health issues ranging from skin diseases up to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. (Pysklwec et al., 2011).This paper will look into the current health status of migrant farm workers in Canada and give possible suggestion to help alleviate the problems affecting their health.

Insecurity and inequality is an everlasting issue in the labour market of Canada. It is known that insecurity is attributed to lack of dependable work as well as income, and to the presence of difficult and dangerous conditions of work. While, inequality refers to the different outcomes, statuses, and experiences among different groupings of people in the society of Canada. (Athabasca University, 2013). In 2006, the proportion of immigrants in Canada reached its highest level in 75 years, with 19.4 percent of the population having been born outside the country (Statistics Canada 2007a).

This article comprehensively analyzes how the Canadian government aimed to accomplish different policy objectives in order to make immigration processes simpler: “These programs generally increase the participation by the provincial governments and employers in the selection of immigrants; increase the use of temporary foreign workers, and give the federal government more authority to control the flow of immigrants of particular types.” . The Canadian government implements new programs in order to make the selection of immigrants much more efficient. The Canadian government states specifically how their future programs will increase the participation of various governments and employers in selecting immigrants. Secondly, the article describes how the difficulty of applying for immigration status has increased over the years due to Canada’s government regulations: There is a wide variety of criteria for the selection of economic immigrants. For example, the PN program has up to 60 streams in which an immigrant can apply, each with different criteria. There are many streams to which an immigrant can apply, meaning that these government agencies that aim to accept certain immigrants are all based on various criteria. They do not aim to accept all immigrants that apply for immigration, but

For decades now the nation of Canada, our country has been a home to millions of immigrated citizens, due to the civil disorder, persecution, and/or simply for a better income and way of life. Canada proclaims multiculturalism, which demonstrates to these immigrants vision Canada will provide each and everyone of them a safer environment in which their home countries could not provide them. Since 1966, Immigrants and workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) have been a huge part of the Canadian history (CBC News 2012). The SAWP program brings in around 25,000 to Canada annually, says Kerry Preibisch, a professor of sociology and anthropology at the University of Guelph. Sixty-six per cent of those workers are employed in

Instead, the more easily manipulated and cost-saving TFWs are being chosen over local workers. This allows for violations of a TFW’s labour rights and has broad economic consequences. When TFWs are employed, wages and working conditions are driven down within that sector, and unemployment is raised amongst local workers. The solution is to fundamentally alter the TFWP and allow access to permanent residency for all low-skilled workers. This results in higher labour standards as well as greater worker mobility and social support. Permanent residents have the ability to receive education, as well as employment insurance, and further benefits. Additionally, when workers have the ability to gain permanent residency they have less fear of retribution from voicing their concerns and pursuing legal action. Workers should also be allowed work permits tied to their sector or province instead of one employer so that they have the ability to freely change jobs. This allows competition by providing incentive for employers to pay and treat employees fairly, which would help alleviate the current string of labour rights abuses. On a basic level, there need to be more multilingual resources available for TFWs during the recruitment phase to increase understanding of the TFWP as well as of their rights and liberties in Canada. There also needs to be resources available in the country to help workers overcome the societal and cultural barriers. Once equal labour rights are ensured for all workers and they receive equal pay for equal work, TFWs will fill their original purpose: to fill temporary labour shortages. All these solutions would ultimately amount to a more ethical, fair and flexible Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker

The main purpose of this problem statement is to understand the reasons behind immigrants with high education credentials working on just entry level jobs (underemployment) or are not able to find a job to earn for their livelihood (unemployment). There are many reasons behind this underemployment and unemployment and with the help of this study we will try to help new immigrants to Canada by letting them know about various challenges they might have to face during the initial phase of their life in Canada. Apart from this, our study will also help international students to find jobs matching their skills and even part time jobs during their studies, as our main focus is international students at red river college,

Source 1 mentions Canada as the world’s 11th largest economy but with a large percentage of its population being comprised of immigrants. However, due to a declining workforce and a lack of skilled workers, more immigrants are urgently needed. David Olive, author of this source in The Toronto Star, believes that Canada needs to be more welcoming to immigrants for the sake of the economy. Compared to Canadian natives, immigrants face a plethora of problems in regards to finding jobs. “In Canada there is a stubborn gap between skilled first-generation immigrants and the general population when it comes to being able to secure employment, decent housing and adequate pay”. Potential immigrants often opt out of immigration because to them it isn’t worth it if they have to take lower paying jobs that aren’t in their original field of work. Immigrants often convey these struggles and challenges to their home country consequently discouraging other potential immigrants. “Solving the issues immigrants currently confront is thus integral to the long-term prosperity of Canada’s economy”. The source recommends fast-tracking credentials while the immigrant is in their home country as well as allowing temporary foreign workers and international students (who have graduated from Canada) to have a quicker way to permanent residence. Through this source, David Olive is ultimately trying to say that “for Canada’s economy to stay competitive, we must help immigrants arrive here, and make their

Globalization has changed the structure of labour markets in the last decade causing increased migration and labour migration globally. Labour migration, to work successfully for the employer and desperate employee, demands flexibly. This flexible work demanded by employers of employees is seasonal and low skill in which the quote ‘white male’ does not want, therefore migrant workers are needed for the task. This is because migrant workers fit the flexible model needed by employers, according to Fridell and Konings, not because they are naive and ignorant to their rights as workers but because both parties, higher cooperation, and migrant workers, believe in the stigma of little money is better than no money (Fridell and Konings, 2013.) and are venerable to exploitation, lower wages, and no rights. Pointed out by Rivoli the employees the ‘floaters’ (Rivoli, 2015) the demand put workers contradict when they arrive at the job as when they get there they have no flexibility “the works show up to the city with hope…. migrants are denied rights to adequate health care…. leaving them particularly vulnerable, enabling the employers to deny their rights with impunity” (Rivoli, 2015). Often migrants are given the image of the epitome of freedom and choice, yet the opposite is true.

Migrant workers are willing to do the jobs that local workers don't want to do and they value their jobs very much. Despite the huge marches in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, many immigrants skipped the boycott either for fear of losing their jobs or because they simply could not afford to lose even a single day's wages (Hamilton). They treat wages more than everything. At the same time, employers in Canada and the U.S. also benefit from migrant workers. With the lowest payment, sometimes they even don't get paid at all, employers save a lot on their cost, what’s more, migrant workers are usually not able to enjoy the same rights and benefits as locals, even though they are supposed to have the same rights and benefits as local workers,