UWindsor Annual Report 2007/2008

The Migrant Workers Project and Pro Bono Students Canada held a speakers’ panel to address legal issues facing workers participating in the federally authorized Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP).

The Canadian government issues approximately 100,000 migrant worker permits annually, with about 20,000 of these workers employed in agricultural jobs - many in the Windsor-Essex County area. Migrant workers often experience substandard working conditions that violate labour and employment standards, as well as basic human rights legislation. Fear of losing employment and lack of appropriate appeal mechanisms make migrant workers particularly vulnerable to abuse, said Law Professor Emily Carasco.

The event was sponsored by the Faculty of Law and the Centre for Studies in Social Justice. Carasco moderated the discussion, which included Consuelo Rubio from the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples, Stan Raper, co-odinator of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program for United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), Chris Ramsaroop from Justice for Migrant Workers, and Veena Verma of Cavalluzzo, Hayes, Shilton McIntyre & Cornish, LLP.