UPDATED – January 30, 2025 – 1500 CST – Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s temporary foreign worker (TFW) program is “inherently exploitative and discriminatory,” and violates Canada’s international obligations according to a report from human rights group Amnesty International, released today. The report, titled “Canada has Destroyed me”: Labour Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Canada was […] Read more
Tag Archives Temporary Foreign Workers Program
Ag sector must be ready to answer foreign worker questions
Canadian farmers have a long history of employing temporary foreign workers. In 1966, the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program was formed and brought 264 Jamaican workers to Canada to pick apples. That program has functioned well over the years for its intended purpose of filling short-term seasonal positions that weren’t attractive to Canadians. It has grown […] Read more
‘Less panic’ over new immigration policy
Farm, agrifood groups say government understands the importance of temporary foreign workers to agriculture
WINNIPEG — The federal government’s new policy on immigration will not have huge consequences for agri-food processors or farmers, say spokespeople for the Canadian Meat Council and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a plan to cut the number of temporary residents in Canada to curb population growth from […] Read more
Over-emphasis on ag skews temporary foreign worker debate
Earlier last month, the federal government announced it was making changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, saying that the program was being “misused.” In a release, Randy Boissonnault, minister of employment, workforce development and official languages, said “bad actors are taking advantage of people and compromising the program for legitimate businesses. We are putting […] Read more
Foreign workers lose support
WINNIPEG — A majority of Canadians believe that the country takes in too many temporary foreign workers. In an Angus Reid poll released last week, 56 percent of respondents said Canada brings in “way too many” or “too many” temporary foreign workers. When broken down by political affiliation, supporters of the federal Conservative party are […] Read more
Agriculture dodges temporary foreign worker clamp down
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and food processing will be exempt from federal measures to reduce hiring of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in Canada, the federal government said today. Earlier in August, employment minister Randy Boissonnault introduced stricter oversight in “high risk areas” when processing Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), used by employers to demonstrate that […] Read more
Feds add measures to discourage TFW reliance
Temporary foreign worker numbers have risen in recent years, prompting calls for more robust oversight of the program
Glacier FarmMedia – The federal government is changing Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs to reduce the use of migrant workers in Canada. That could affect the agriculture sector, though it’s not a direct target of the reforms. “Bad actors are taking advantage of people and compromising the program for legitimate businesses. We are putting more […] Read more
Packers slam changes to foreign worker program
Sector demands Ottawa stop restricting temporary foreign workers to only 20 per cent of a meat processor’s workforce
WINNIPEG — Meat packing plants in Canada have struggled for decades to recruit and retain workers. Until recently, 30 per cent of their workforce could be temporary foreign workers, which helped alleviate the shortage of labour. Related stories: However, the federal government changed the rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program this spring, capping the […] Read more
TFW changes frustrate red meat sector
WINNIPEG — Livestock groups and meat processors say the federal government and its response to the housing shortage is harming Canada’s red meat industry. In a joint statement released May 29, the Canadian Meat Council, the Canadian Cattle Association, the National Cattle Feeders’ Association and the Canadian Pork Council asked the feds to restore the […] Read more
Foreign worker employers worry about housing
Those in the ag sector who hire temporary foreign workers 365 days a year say Ottawa’s new regulations will be costly
UPDATED: May 10, 2024 – 0900 CST – Emailed comments from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) added. WINNIPEG — Producers and primary agriculture companies that employ temporary workers 365 days per year say a federal policy change will require farmers to maintain empty houses. In early May, a representative of the Canadian Mushroom Growers’ […] Read more
