Noe Arteaga Santos, fired migrant worker, still fighting for Savoura compensation

A Guatemalan migrant worker fired in 2008 by a large tomato producer in Quebec is calling on his former employer to take responsibility for firing him unjustly.

Noe Arteaga Santos, a former Savoura worker, has been fighting for migrant workers rights in Quebec for years after he says he was fired for trying to help a worker who had fallen ill.

Last year, the labour relations board finally made a ruling on the case, stating that the company should not have fired Santos.

He's now seeking compensation: $50,000 total, which represents $10,000 a year for each year since his termination.

However, Savoura filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

Helena Sanchez of the temporary foreign workers association said Santos is still entitled to payment.

"Their tomatoes are still on the market and there's another company that has bought Savoura," she said.

"If this company has bought Savoura, it has not only bought the production, but also the debt and Savoura has a debt with Noe."

A representative from Sagami, the company that bought the Savoura brand this spring, told CBC News he wasn't familiar with the specifics of the case, but said any responsibility for paying Santos would likely fall to the original owners.

Serres du Saint-Laurent, the company that previously owned Savoura, did not immediately respond to an interview request.