Migrant farm workers need better heat protections, say advocates

 Advocates for migrant agricultural workers are renewing their calls for the Ontario government to implement emergency measures to protect farmworkers from extreme heat. 

Justice for Migrant Workers (J4MW), a collective of volunteers fighting for fairness for agricultural workers, say they have been calling for better heat protections for migrant workers for over a year. The group made their concerns known to Premier Doug Ford and his Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, again in an open letter on Monday.

J4MW also accused the provincial government of "twiddling its thumbs" after they committed to enacting rules that would protect workers from the heat last July. 

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In the letter, J4MW expressed concern about Ontario's recent heat dome making this summer another dangerous one for those working outdoors. "The province should not wait for a tragedy to happen before it passes legislation to protect the foundation of Canada's food system: farm workers," part of the letter reads.

Farm workers are also 35 times more likely than the rest of the population to die of heat exposure, according to the letter. J4MW also highlights that most of the migrant farm workers who come to Canada are racialized, low-income people and that denying them sufficient access to cooling is a form of environmental racism.

J4MW specifically demanded that the Ford government require employers to provide first aid, hydration stations and shade for workers, that farms be shut down and workers still paid during extreme weather events, and for the government to proactively inspect farms for proper working conditions.

Chris Ramsaroop, an organizer with J4MW and an instructor at the University of Toronto, says migrant workers he's spoken to have described their situation as "a living hell" and have reported "feeling near death."

Like working in an Amazon fulfilment warehouse, workers are typically paid by the pound for goods they harvest, according to Ramsaroop, meaning workers have to compete with each other in order to maximize how much they earn.

Workers also told Ramsaroop they're not given water or extra breaks when the heat soars.

Extreme heat is a problem for agriculture workers in both their living and working conditions, Ramsaroop explained. Some workers have told him that both their accomodations and workplaces don't have air conditioning, fans or proper ventilation. He's also heard of migrant workers passing out due to the heat.

Ramsaroop says the province has a responsibility to project migrant workers rights in part because of the risks workers would face if they were to advocate for themselves.

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Many migrant workers come to Canada on temporary work visas, which allow them to come into the country to work under a specific employer.

"As a result of the precarious nature of the [migrant workforce], there's a clear fear of exerting their rights for fear of deportation," Ramsaroop said.

Taneeta Doma, a lawyer with the Migrant Farmworker Clinic at the University of Windsor, says some workers who speak out against their employers have had their complaints dissapeared, while others have even been deported. Doma says she wants the government to protect workers from both the heat, and retribution by their employer.

Doma says the government "has a lot of work to do"  and urges the Ford government to "make sure proactive measures are taken so workers don't have to risk their jobs to have a safe working environment." 

According to Doma, regulation is something migrant workers themselves would really like to see from the Ontario government.

"[For migrant workers], not being able to see the fruits of that, or to see anything come into place is really concerning."