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Justice for Migrant Workers (J4MW) is asking the government of Ontario to protect farmworkers from extreme heat. 2024 is becoming one of the hottest years ever, and many farmworkers are working without protection from the heat. These workers are much more likely to die from heat exposure compared to the public.
We spoke to Chris Ramsaroop, Justice for Migrant Workers co-founder, who explained this isn’t a new issue and the Ontario government is aware of their concerns.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission says that having ways to stay cool is a human right. J4MW wants migrant farmworkers, who often face tougher conditions, to benefit from these basic standards that others enjoy.
The government is leaving it to employers to provide breaks, shade, water, and fair wages, but many employers are not doing this. Migrant workers are reaching out to J4MW as they are fearful that their jobs are at risk if they ask for basic protections.
J4MW shared with us a letter from Johnathon, a migrant worker from Trinidad and Tobago, whose concerns are echoed by other workers.
Hello, I would like to share a bit on what my co-workers and myself are facing at the farm located in the Haldimand Norfolk region. My name is Johnathon and I’ve been working in Canada’s agricultural fields for almost 12 yrs. I’ve harvested a lot of fruits and vegetables over the years. Apples, carrots, tomatoes and many others. I love it here in Canada but there are a lot of serious issues and ill treatment farm workers face that no one is aware of and also the weather conditions we have to work in. I’m almost certain 70-80% of Canada’s agricultural sector comes from the work of migrant workers, yet enough isn’t being done for us. My co-workers and I even had to work in temperatures of 38-45 degrees when a heat warning is in effect.
A lot of us are afraid to raise any attention or speak out because we would be victimize or not be requested back to work the following year in Canada if we did. A few days ago whilst harvesting apples approximately around 2pm, management told the bin operators to remove the bins of apples out of the fields because they were getting sunburn. We honestly couldn’t believe it, so we said amongst ourselves, if the apples can get sunburn, what about us who are there working in bare heat with no shelter. A lot of workers that are on farms work in conditions that a normal Canadian citizen will never do.
It affects us a lot both physically and mentally. Not because we are not beaten or whipped, we are being treated well. Employers also control farm workers mentally, by having us afraid to speak out, because we know that if we do, we would no longer be employed or be able to come to Canada to provide for our families. I’m hoping that the Government of Ontario and Canada look into the major issues and problems along with the conditions that workers face on an everyday basis.
Thank you
Ramsaroop says the next step is to have the public get involved and put pressure on the government to protect the labour behind our food system.
J4MW is an all-volunteer collective that consists of current and former workers, labour and community activists and scholars who advocate for fairness, dignity and respect for agricultural workers.
Written by Jeremy Hall