Migrant agricultural workers in Canada are calling on the federal government to raise the bar on “dirty” and “inhumane” living conditions which they say are “not meant for humans,” according to a new report.
The findings were released in a guidance document on Friday by a group of 29 academics and advocates from across Canada who are looking to establish a national housing standard for migrant workers that is consistent and strongly enforced.
Canada’s agricultural sector has been facing a years-long labour shortage and largely relies on people from Mexico and the Caribbean who are willing to temporarily move to Canada to do essential work for the country’s food system. In exchange, employers are legally required to offer “adequate, suitable and affordable housing,” but some workers say their living standards fall far short of that promise.
“Mould in the fridge. In the freezers, nothing was clean. And both of the stoves had rodent droppings all over it and inside of the oven as well. Also, in the drawers. So, everything that was in there was full of rodent droppings,” explained one migrant worker from Jamaica.
“We were afraid to use the kitchen to cook. We didn’t make anything for days. We just keep wiping with bleach.”
Other workers reported overcrowding issues like up to eight people living in one room, persistent plumbing problems, floods, and claimed to have experienced extreme temperatures without adequate heating, cooling or ventilation.
“Heating in the house is not working, and we cannot adjust the heat because the farm owner installed it [the thermostat] and took the remote and the key to his office,” a worker from Jamaica told researchers.
The authors of the report are calling for a series of changes which include improving access to transportation, limiting employer surveillance and controls on housing, as well as reducing the ratios of workers in kitchens, washrooms and laundry facilities. They are also calling for stronger enforcement of these standards.
Calls for stricter inspections
Federal and provincial governments are supposed to conduct regular inspections on migrant living and working facilities, but some workers say the rules are easily circumvented.
“[The boss] kind of disguises things … Normally they [the inspectors] notify him that they are coming, and I think that is a negative thing because they give him time to arrange everything,” explained a migrant worker from Mexico. “It should be so that they catch him red-handed.”
Advocates say inspections should not be conducted by private inspectors linked to employer associations “due to the clear conflicts of interest which pose barriers to enforcement; instead, inspectors should be well-trained public servants at arm’s length from the industry.”
“Inspections should be carried out by public health agents who are accountable to the wider public and have the unique skill-set to assess common health hazards,” the report says.
Jill Hanley, a professor at McGill University, and one of the lead authors of the guidance document, believes that housing standards for migrant agricultural workers is necessary to improve the standard of living for everyone in Canada.
“If we continue to keep a low and inconsistent bar for housing quality for this group, we jeopardize not only the health and safety of migrant agricultural workers, but also send a message to all Canadians that poor and undignified housing is acceptable in Canada,” Hanley explained.
“This more hidden housing crisis is upholding the more visible one. We want national housing standards that can send a strong message of how we expect individuals living and working in Canada to be treated, regardless of status.”
Hanley and her co-authors say the implementation of these standards will require greater federal leadership as well as government coordination, union representation, and permanent residence for migrant workers upon arrival.
