Interesting..... some of the conditions exist now in the 21st Century among the Farm Workers in Canada
YouTube - Michael Parenti -- Functions of Fascism Part 3 of 4
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
J4MW: 'Debt bondage' grows in Windsor area
http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Debt+bondage+grows/3174090/story.html
LEAMINGTON, Ont. -- Her first duty when she stepped off the plane at Toronto's Pearson International Airport: slip her Canadian contact some money wrapped in a newspaper.
Her next duty: start paying back the $5,000-plus -- a huge sum for her back home -- that she paid to work in Canada.
She remained hopeful, but when "Angela" arrived in Leamington from her home country in southern Asia, she soon started realizing farm work in Canada wasn't as advertised.
She said she lives in an overcrowded apartment, her wages are below what she signed on for and she experiences a general lack of freedom, including with whom she associates.
"I'm still paying after almost two years," said Angela, who supports two children back home on $400 a month and lives in an apartment here with eight people.
"We don't have a problem with the work, it is only with the agent we work with." "He tries to control our home, our work renewal permits, even our laundry," Angela said.
"We do not have freedom at all." Human-rights advocates are focusing more and more on the growing issue of "debt bondage" and human trafficking in Windsor and across the country, helping educate foreign workers about their rights in Canada.
Angela is among the thousands of temporary foreign workers who cut fish, pack cucumbers and pick tomatoes in Essex County.
Most work at legitimate operations and happily return year after year. Some, however, pay excessive fees to agencies promising benefits that never materialize.
A work renewal permit costs $150. But third-party agents sometimes charge $2,000 or more to fill out the paperwork. If workers attempt to complete the requirements themselves, an unscrupulous agent might threaten to have a worker fired -- which would instantly render the foreign national "illegal" in Canada.
Such workers then feel defenceless.
"I came to work in Canada to get money for my family in Thailand," said Sumalee, 31, who has been in Canada for four years and who sometimes makes as little as $50 a day doing piece-meal work in a fish-packing plant. "I feel disappointed because we didn't get what we expected.
"It's kind of frustrating. But I keep smiling. I still have hope." The United Nations defines human trafficking as "the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them." The UN notes that every country in the world experiences the phenomenon to some degree and estimated in 2008 that some 2.5 million people fell victim to human trafficking worldwide.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "After drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in the world, and is the fastest growing." Yet it's hard to see.
"Human trafficking is a very difficult problem to wrap your head around statistically, because it's a very hidden crime," said Marty Van Doren, the RCMP's London-based human trafficking awareness co-ordinator. "Most human trafficking victims never come to the attention of law enforcement or other organizations. They don't come forward because they can be very scared of the human traffickers who are taking advantage of them, scared to testify, scared of authorities. Quite often they're ashamed to come forward, and if they're illegal in this country, they have a big bull's-eye on them because there's always a chance of being deported." Van Doren said while coercing women into the sex trade is the most common form of human trafficking, exploited labourers -- especially in southern Ontario -- are the next most common group.
Canada has obtained five convictions of human trafficking under the Canadian Criminal Code, and some 30 others are before the courts. One human trafficking charge was laid in the Windsor area under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A Windsor man allegedly kept two American men against their will, collecting their pension cheques.
Yet human trafficking convictions prove difficult, Van Doren said, since the cases often come down to one person's word against another's.
Shelley Gilbert, co-ordinator of social-work services at Legal Assistance of Windsor, provided a presentation on the complexities of human trafficking Friday at the Canadian Social Forum, at All Saints Church.
She notes that Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. have specific legislation governing third-party job recruiters.
She wants to see tougher federal legislation, which includes the stipulation that employers, not workers, pay recruiter fees.
Some workers, she said, pay more than $10,000 to third-party agents, and then come here to find more and more fees added, and less and less ability to break the cycle. They can't go home because they still owe money, and they face restrictions if they stay.
"There are thousands of temporary foreign workers in Windsor and Essex County," Gilbert said. "Are all of them victims of human trafficking? Absolutely not.
"But the more we work with that population, the more we see evidence and people coming to us over the last year. I liken the issue to domestic violence 25 years ago, when domestic violence was very secretive." Gilbert believes that while most people don't know the term "human trafficking," the tide has begun to turn, and that temporary foreign workers are starting to recognize that they can stand up.
A group of Thai workers recently approached MP Dave Van Kesteren's Chatham-Kent-Essex constituency office, for instance, to discuss the phenomenon.
"We want to investigate this," Van Kesteren said Friday, noting that abuses are rare but that they generally arise from third-party recruiters. "We don't want abuses. It's heart-rending to hear these people's stories." Van Kesteren said he has spoken to the government about human trafficking, and that he wants to explore legislation that would place more controls on third-party job recruiters. But he doesn't want to dismantle the current system.
"This is a very important process that we have here," he said. "It's very important to our farmers, to the greenhouse growers, to the economy, and it's also important to the migrant workers who have good, legitimate arrangements." Van Kesteren plans to host a round-table on the issue with community stakeholders later this summer. © Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Debt+bondage+grows/3174090/story.html#ixzz0rRJszclp
__._,_.___
LEAMINGTON, Ont. -- Her first duty when she stepped off the plane at Toronto's Pearson International Airport: slip her Canadian contact some money wrapped in a newspaper.
Her next duty: start paying back the $5,000-plus -- a huge sum for her back home -- that she paid to work in Canada.
She remained hopeful, but when "Angela" arrived in Leamington from her home country in southern Asia, she soon started realizing farm work in Canada wasn't as advertised.
She said she lives in an overcrowded apartment, her wages are below what she signed on for and she experiences a general lack of freedom, including with whom she associates.
"I'm still paying after almost two years," said Angela, who supports two children back home on $400 a month and lives in an apartment here with eight people.
"We don't have a problem with the work, it is only with the agent we work with." "He tries to control our home, our work renewal permits, even our laundry," Angela said.
"We do not have freedom at all." Human-rights advocates are focusing more and more on the growing issue of "debt bondage" and human trafficking in Windsor and across the country, helping educate foreign workers about their rights in Canada.
Angela is among the thousands of temporary foreign workers who cut fish, pack cucumbers and pick tomatoes in Essex County.
Most work at legitimate operations and happily return year after year. Some, however, pay excessive fees to agencies promising benefits that never materialize.
A work renewal permit costs $150. But third-party agents sometimes charge $2,000 or more to fill out the paperwork. If workers attempt to complete the requirements themselves, an unscrupulous agent might threaten to have a worker fired -- which would instantly render the foreign national "illegal" in Canada.
Such workers then feel defenceless.
"I came to work in Canada to get money for my family in Thailand," said Sumalee, 31, who has been in Canada for four years and who sometimes makes as little as $50 a day doing piece-meal work in a fish-packing plant. "I feel disappointed because we didn't get what we expected.
"It's kind of frustrating. But I keep smiling. I still have hope." The United Nations defines human trafficking as "the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them." The UN notes that every country in the world experiences the phenomenon to some degree and estimated in 2008 that some 2.5 million people fell victim to human trafficking worldwide.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "After drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in the world, and is the fastest growing." Yet it's hard to see.
"Human trafficking is a very difficult problem to wrap your head around statistically, because it's a very hidden crime," said Marty Van Doren, the RCMP's London-based human trafficking awareness co-ordinator. "Most human trafficking victims never come to the attention of law enforcement or other organizations. They don't come forward because they can be very scared of the human traffickers who are taking advantage of them, scared to testify, scared of authorities. Quite often they're ashamed to come forward, and if they're illegal in this country, they have a big bull's-eye on them because there's always a chance of being deported." Van Doren said while coercing women into the sex trade is the most common form of human trafficking, exploited labourers -- especially in southern Ontario -- are the next most common group.
Canada has obtained five convictions of human trafficking under the Canadian Criminal Code, and some 30 others are before the courts. One human trafficking charge was laid in the Windsor area under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A Windsor man allegedly kept two American men against their will, collecting their pension cheques.
Yet human trafficking convictions prove difficult, Van Doren said, since the cases often come down to one person's word against another's.
Shelley Gilbert, co-ordinator of social-work services at Legal Assistance of Windsor, provided a presentation on the complexities of human trafficking Friday at the Canadian Social Forum, at All Saints Church.
She notes that Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. have specific legislation governing third-party job recruiters.
She wants to see tougher federal legislation, which includes the stipulation that employers, not workers, pay recruiter fees.
Some workers, she said, pay more than $10,000 to third-party agents, and then come here to find more and more fees added, and less and less ability to break the cycle. They can't go home because they still owe money, and they face restrictions if they stay.
"There are thousands of temporary foreign workers in Windsor and Essex County," Gilbert said. "Are all of them victims of human trafficking? Absolutely not.
"But the more we work with that population, the more we see evidence and people coming to us over the last year. I liken the issue to domestic violence 25 years ago, when domestic violence was very secretive." Gilbert believes that while most people don't know the term "human trafficking," the tide has begun to turn, and that temporary foreign workers are starting to recognize that they can stand up.
A group of Thai workers recently approached MP Dave Van Kesteren's Chatham-Kent-Essex constituency office, for instance, to discuss the phenomenon.
"We want to investigate this," Van Kesteren said Friday, noting that abuses are rare but that they generally arise from third-party recruiters. "We don't want abuses. It's heart-rending to hear these people's stories." Van Kesteren said he has spoken to the government about human trafficking, and that he wants to explore legislation that would place more controls on third-party job recruiters. But he doesn't want to dismantle the current system.
"This is a very important process that we have here," he said. "It's very important to our farmers, to the greenhouse growers, to the economy, and it's also important to the migrant workers who have good, legitimate arrangements." Van Kesteren plans to host a round-table on the issue with community stakeholders later this summer. © Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Debt+bondage+grows/3174090/story.html#ixzz0rRJszclp
__._,_.___
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
MIGRANT WORKERS FACE BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE
Letters to the editor
Posted 10 days ago
MIGRANT WORKERS FACE BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE
Shock and disbelief only partially capture my reaction to the inflammatory comments made by Dr. Harold Hynscht regarding the influx of visits by migrant workers to his clinic (Reformer, May 19).
While it seems that he was attempting to gain sympathy for the high volume of visits to his clinic on Friday night, describing the large number of migrant workers as "awful" and how it "off ends him" not only shows a disregard for the health needs of migrant workers, but also squarely puts the blames for their precarious access to health care on the migrant workers themselves.
Migrant workers, many of whom have worked here for decades, form the backbone of our local agricultural industry, and are entitled to health care access. However they face insurmountable barriers to access this care. From isolation and alienation in rural communities, a lack of independent transportation and interpretation services, to the threat of repatriation if they cannot work due to illness or injury.
They also may face permanent disbarment from Canada if their employer or government representative are of the view that a migrant worker is not fit to work the following year.
The health needs of migrant workers are many and the services provided to address their particular concerns are few.
A specific migrant health care strategy is needed from both the province and the federal government.
However the comments provided by Dr. Hynscht are neither productive nor helpful in advancing collective concerns about our current health care system.
Regardless of whether or not his intent was to single out the migrant worker community, the impact of his comments further compound the disparate situation that awaits sick or injured migrant workers.
As part of a migrant rights collective that has worked with migrant workers for over a decade, I can attest to the many workers who are suffering in their home country as a result of injuries or ailments received while working in Canada.
A recent report on the social determinants of health found that racialized residents of Canada were disproportionately disadvantaged in areas such as housing, employment, education and access to health care. Now imagine the additional barriers that rural racialized communities face, particularly those who endure both precarious immigration and employment status?
Posted 10 days ago
MIGRANT WORKERS FACE BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE
Shock and disbelief only partially capture my reaction to the inflammatory comments made by Dr. Harold Hynscht regarding the influx of visits by migrant workers to his clinic (Reformer, May 19).
While it seems that he was attempting to gain sympathy for the high volume of visits to his clinic on Friday night, describing the large number of migrant workers as "awful" and how it "off ends him" not only shows a disregard for the health needs of migrant workers, but also squarely puts the blames for their precarious access to health care on the migrant workers themselves.
Migrant workers, many of whom have worked here for decades, form the backbone of our local agricultural industry, and are entitled to health care access. However they face insurmountable barriers to access this care. From isolation and alienation in rural communities, a lack of independent transportation and interpretation services, to the threat of repatriation if they cannot work due to illness or injury.
They also may face permanent disbarment from Canada if their employer or government representative are of the view that a migrant worker is not fit to work the following year.
The health needs of migrant workers are many and the services provided to address their particular concerns are few.
A specific migrant health care strategy is needed from both the province and the federal government.
However the comments provided by Dr. Hynscht are neither productive nor helpful in advancing collective concerns about our current health care system.
Regardless of whether or not his intent was to single out the migrant worker community, the impact of his comments further compound the disparate situation that awaits sick or injured migrant workers.
As part of a migrant rights collective that has worked with migrant workers for over a decade, I can attest to the many workers who are suffering in their home country as a result of injuries or ailments received while working in Canada.
A recent report on the social determinants of health found that racialized residents of Canada were disproportionately disadvantaged in areas such as housing, employment, education and access to health care. Now imagine the additional barriers that rural racialized communities face, particularly those who endure both precarious immigration and employment status?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Calderón llega a Canadá; hablará sobre visas - El Universal - México
Calderón llega a Canadá; hablará sobre visas - El Universal - México
Calderón llega a Canadá; hablará sobre visas
EL titular del Ejecutivo permanecerá dos días en aquel país, donde colocará una ofrenda floral ante la tumba del soldado desconocido en Ottawa y a continuación se dirigirá al Parlamento
AGENDA Calderón realiza su segunda visita oficial en Canadá (Foto: Archivo ELUNIVERSAL )
* Enviar por email
* Tamaño del texto
* Imprimir
Notas Relacionadas
* Tema económico, prioridad de FCH en Canadá 11:22
* Calderón se alista para discurso en Harvard 07:45
* Calderón visita Canadá para fortalecer relaciones 2010-05-26
* Calderón hablará ante estudiantes en Harvard 2010-05-25
TORONTO | Miércoles 26 de mayo de 2010 EFE | El Universal11:31
10 comentarios
El presidente de México, Felipe Calderón, llega esta noche a Canadá para realizar una visita oficial hasta el 28 de mayo durante la que tratará con el Gobierno y empresarios canadienses temas comerciales y el problema de los visados a mexicanos.
Calderón iniciará el jueves su segunda visita oficial a Canadá con una ofrenda floral ante la tumba del soldado desconocido en Ottawa y a continuación se dirigirá al Parlamento para entrevistarse con el primer ministro canadiense, Stephen Harper, y pronunciará un discurso en la cámara baja.
Harper dijo a principios de mes que la visita de Calderón "subraya la fuerte y resistente amistad entre Canadá y México" y aseguró que esperaba "reforzar esta relación estratégica a finales de mes" .
Las relaciones comerciales entre los dos países, ambos socios del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) junto con Estados Unidos, centrarán las reuniones que Calderón mantendrá en Canadá.
Tras su llegada al poder en 2006, el Gobierno de Harper declaró que las relaciones del país norteamericano con Latinoamérica era un objetivo estratégico y desde entonces ha lanzado un ambicioso programa para fortalecer las relaciones comerciales con el resto del continente.
Por ejemplo, este mes Canadá firmó un acuerdo de libre comercio con Panamá, está a la espera de la aprobación parlamentaria del TLC con Colombia y mantiene negociaciones para acuerdos similares con los países centroamericanos.
El ministro de Comercio Internacional, Peter Van Loan, señaló recientemente a Efe que Ottawa estaba ahora interesado en iniciar conversaciones comerciales con los países del Mercosur, el mayor bloque económico latinoamericano.
Desde que el TLCAN entró en vigor en 1994, el comercio bilateral entre Canadá y México se ha disparado para multiplicarse por seis. En 2009, el valor del intercambio de bienes entre los dos países sumó 15 mil 679 millones de dólares.
México se ha convertido en el quinto destino de las exportaciones canadienses, el tercer proveedor de bienes de Canadá y uno de los principales destinos de las inversiones canadienses hasta el punto que Canadá es el cuarto país en inversiones en México.
En este sentido, Calderón tiene previsto viajar en la noche del jueves a Toronto, la capital económica del país, para participar en una cena a la que asistirán unos 350 empresarios canadienses.
Y el viernes, poco antes de regresar a México, se reunirá en Montreal con algunas de las principales empresas canadienses, como el mayor fabricante de material ferroviario y aéreo del mundo, Bombardier. En Montreal, Calderón también tiene previsto reunirse con el primer ministro de Québec, Jean Charest.
El principal punto de conflicto entre los dos países fue la imposición canadiense en 2009 de visados a los visitantes mexicanos.
Canadá justificó la decisión por el aumento de las peticiones de refugio procedentes de México, pero las autoridades mexicanas criticaron la medida y la forma en que fue anunciada por Ottawa.
En octubre de 2009, durante una visita a Toronto, la ex secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores mexicana Rosario Green dijo que la imposición de visado a los mexicanos había profundizado el bache que las relaciones de los dos países han experimentado desde la llegada al poder de Harper.
A principios de mayo, el principal grupo de la oposición canadiense, el Partido Liberal, dijo que desde la imposición de la exigencia de visado, los viajes que duran más de un día de México a Canadá se han reducido un 60.5 por ciento, la mayor disminución experimentada en el sector turístico canadiense.
Las autoridades mexicanas han señalado que Calderón tiene previsto tratar con Harper posibles soluciones para facilitar la entrada de mexicanos a Canadá, especialmente empresarios, estudiantes y trabajadores temporales.
cg
Calderón llega a Canadá; hablará sobre visas
EL titular del Ejecutivo permanecerá dos días en aquel país, donde colocará una ofrenda floral ante la tumba del soldado desconocido en Ottawa y a continuación se dirigirá al Parlamento
AGENDA Calderón realiza su segunda visita oficial en Canadá (Foto: Archivo ELUNIVERSAL )
* Enviar por email
* Tamaño del texto
* Imprimir
Notas Relacionadas
* Tema económico, prioridad de FCH en Canadá 11:22
* Calderón se alista para discurso en Harvard 07:45
* Calderón visita Canadá para fortalecer relaciones 2010-05-26
* Calderón hablará ante estudiantes en Harvard 2010-05-25
TORONTO | Miércoles 26 de mayo de 2010 EFE | El Universal11:31
10 comentarios
El presidente de México, Felipe Calderón, llega esta noche a Canadá para realizar una visita oficial hasta el 28 de mayo durante la que tratará con el Gobierno y empresarios canadienses temas comerciales y el problema de los visados a mexicanos.
Calderón iniciará el jueves su segunda visita oficial a Canadá con una ofrenda floral ante la tumba del soldado desconocido en Ottawa y a continuación se dirigirá al Parlamento para entrevistarse con el primer ministro canadiense, Stephen Harper, y pronunciará un discurso en la cámara baja.
Harper dijo a principios de mes que la visita de Calderón "subraya la fuerte y resistente amistad entre Canadá y México" y aseguró que esperaba "reforzar esta relación estratégica a finales de mes" .
Las relaciones comerciales entre los dos países, ambos socios del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) junto con Estados Unidos, centrarán las reuniones que Calderón mantendrá en Canadá.
Tras su llegada al poder en 2006, el Gobierno de Harper declaró que las relaciones del país norteamericano con Latinoamérica era un objetivo estratégico y desde entonces ha lanzado un ambicioso programa para fortalecer las relaciones comerciales con el resto del continente.
Por ejemplo, este mes Canadá firmó un acuerdo de libre comercio con Panamá, está a la espera de la aprobación parlamentaria del TLC con Colombia y mantiene negociaciones para acuerdos similares con los países centroamericanos.
El ministro de Comercio Internacional, Peter Van Loan, señaló recientemente a Efe que Ottawa estaba ahora interesado en iniciar conversaciones comerciales con los países del Mercosur, el mayor bloque económico latinoamericano.
Desde que el TLCAN entró en vigor en 1994, el comercio bilateral entre Canadá y México se ha disparado para multiplicarse por seis. En 2009, el valor del intercambio de bienes entre los dos países sumó 15 mil 679 millones de dólares.
México se ha convertido en el quinto destino de las exportaciones canadienses, el tercer proveedor de bienes de Canadá y uno de los principales destinos de las inversiones canadienses hasta el punto que Canadá es el cuarto país en inversiones en México.
En este sentido, Calderón tiene previsto viajar en la noche del jueves a Toronto, la capital económica del país, para participar en una cena a la que asistirán unos 350 empresarios canadienses.
Y el viernes, poco antes de regresar a México, se reunirá en Montreal con algunas de las principales empresas canadienses, como el mayor fabricante de material ferroviario y aéreo del mundo, Bombardier. En Montreal, Calderón también tiene previsto reunirse con el primer ministro de Québec, Jean Charest.
El principal punto de conflicto entre los dos países fue la imposición canadiense en 2009 de visados a los visitantes mexicanos.
Canadá justificó la decisión por el aumento de las peticiones de refugio procedentes de México, pero las autoridades mexicanas criticaron la medida y la forma en que fue anunciada por Ottawa.
En octubre de 2009, durante una visita a Toronto, la ex secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores mexicana Rosario Green dijo que la imposición de visado a los mexicanos había profundizado el bache que las relaciones de los dos países han experimentado desde la llegada al poder de Harper.
A principios de mayo, el principal grupo de la oposición canadiense, el Partido Liberal, dijo que desde la imposición de la exigencia de visado, los viajes que duran más de un día de México a Canadá se han reducido un 60.5 por ciento, la mayor disminución experimentada en el sector turístico canadiense.
Las autoridades mexicanas han señalado que Calderón tiene previsto tratar con Harper posibles soluciones para facilitar la entrada de mexicanos a Canadá, especialmente empresarios, estudiantes y trabajadores temporales.
cg
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Organizing from the Maquiladoras to the University:
Dialogue and reflections among women migrant and maquiladora workers in Mexico
By Evelyn Encalada Grez
May 23, 2010 (online version) ©
In February researchers from the International Migration Research Centre participated in "the First Forum on International Migration and Transnational Studies" hosted by the "Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla" (BUAP) in the capital of the state of Puebla in Mexico. This forum was part of a joint initiative with the centre through a Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) "North American Research Linkages" grant. The forum brought together researchers from all over Mexico, as well as Europe, Canada and the United States, to discuss points of interest in the ample field of transnational migration studies.
The IMRC sponsored a community mesa [round table] that bridged the divide between researchers and "the researched" that powerfully closed the forum. The community mesa in turn was organized by "Justice/Justicia for Migrant Workers" (J4MW) and the "Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador," Puebla (known as el CAT in Spanish) by bringing together women from the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) and women maquiladora workers in the auto-parts industry along with activists from grassroots organizations for much needed dialogue and reflection. This community mesa attests to the longstanding transnational work and networks established by J4MW in Mexico and Canada and a valuable institutional partnership with el CAT.
These spaces and exchanges are crucial to building new alliances and strengthening movements for transnational change. They also speak to the importance of activist based scholarship that seek to democratize academic spaces with the voices and representations of the very people and movements that inspire our academic and political commitments.
From the onset, it may appear that women migrant farm workers to Canada and maquiladora workers in Puebla and Tlaxcala, Mexico, have little in common. Yet both groups of women are integrated in the global economy through their work as transnational/internal migrant workers bound to foreign capital. Moreover, it could be argued that women in the SAWP work in rural spaces that function like agricultural maquiladoras, with lax labour laws and an absentee state favouring employers, profit and industry over the labour and human rights of workers. The women share hardships from their low income working class status and vulnerabilities that render them disposable to employers. Furthermore, the women have similar work and life trajectories. Many women in the SAWP have worked in maquiladoras, and many in the maquiladora industry - whether in textiles, electronics or auto parts - are internal migrants from diverse regions within Mexico and at some point in their lives become transnational migrants to mostly the US and some to Canada. Essentially, they live and work in the same place; in this instance in Puebla and Tlaxcala. They work in maquiladoras in one form or the other. And most importantly, both groups of women face serious reprisals and repercussions when they organize themselves and resist unfair labour practices. After their testimonies and reflections, any remaining differences faded with powerful intersecting commonalities among maquiladora and migrant women farm workers.
Women's Voices from the Mesa
The following are excerpts from the introductions women offered about their lives that set the tone for the remainder of the community mesa. Most of the women workers had never addressed a public audience in their lives and spoke straight from their hearts about their experiences and struggles. Pseudonyms had to be used and some parts of the testimonies had to be omitted in order to protect women's privacy to offset the very tangible threat of reprisals for speaking up and being "political".
Justina:...most of us who work at Johnson Controls [maquiladora plant in Parque Industrial Bralemex in Puebla with headquarters in Milwaukee] are from Tlaxcala, and we work under pressure, working 12 hour days and sometimes, we complete two shifts, which is 16 hours, and we only get one lunch break when we work 12 hours. There are many abuses, such as sexual harassment, and pregnant women also work 12 hour shifts and they are not allowed to leave once they finish their 8 hours. Their workload is not reduced even though they are expecting and some of them have lost their babies and so, these are the reasons why we felt obligated to organize ourselves and form the Johnson Control coalition. We are fighting to have our labour rights respected. We have a union, but they mostly defend the company's rights instead of our own and this is the reason why we are currently fighting to understand our rights and face our bosses so that our rights are never violated again. A group of us were fired because of our resistance. We are in the middle of a lawsuit at the moment, and we continue to educate [others] about our rights. We are determined to affect change and we are taking full advantage of this space that you have provided to us in order to denounce the injustices we face at work.
Leticia: My name is Leticia and I am a seasonal worker in Canada. I have worked there for 10 seasons, each 8 months long. I have worked at two different places and the although I had terrible housing conditions in the first one, I had a very good experience [at the second] because when I arrived, I had nothing and eventually I got used to it, but it is very difficult to adjust because we are from different cultures, levels of education and it is very difficult for us get used to life in Canada ...The hardest thing is to respect everyone, to have tolerance for everyone in order to avoid problems [among co-workers who they have to live and work with on a daily basis in Canada] and I like to observe and provide support [if they ask] I have worked with very young women and it is difficult because we have to leave our children and family behind… and the truth is that we have received a lot of support from organizations over there, like Justicia and Canadian students who support you very much and are interested in learning your language. I have not learned English, but my Canadian friends have learned perfect Spanish. They support us in many things, like going to the doctor where the language is a problem and then there are workshops on emotional health. Kate, [Justicia organizer] one of the compañeras and my friend knows a lot about this issue and she understands and supports us. I am very grateful to all of them [Justicia organizers] and I had nothing prepared to say today but I am happy to be here.
Citlali: My name is Citlali and I come from the state of Tlaxcala and I am also a migrant worker to Canada. I have been going to Canada for five years now and I think it is a short time, but in this period I have experienced more negative than positive experiences…I wanted to quickly mention is that here in Mexico there are unions for workers but in Canada we do not have one [cannot be part of one], so when we experience injustices and are exploited as workers, where do we turn? It has been said over and over again that the [Mexican] consulate does not take responsibility [for anyone]. I had an accident and I have lived this situation in the flesh and this is why I know that the consulate does not do anything. Another thing is that we pay a lot of taxes and we receive no benefits since we are Mexican workers. As Mexican citizens we are considered inferior [than Canadians] and unfortunately there is a lot of racism. The simple fact we are Mexican places a mark that makes us inferior to them [Canadians] and this is very sad for us... if I start to tell you all the things we go through, I think we will all start crying together...so I am just trying to give you an idea...so thank you very much.
Marisela: I am also a migrant worker. My name is Marisela and I am currently in the province of Alberta. Alberta is very pretty and vast, but it is very cold and there are also many injustices committed against us because they force us to work when it is snowing. I currently work in a greenhouse and the work is indoors but those who come from Guatemala, Honduras are in a farm where there are over 400 workers and they are forced to work from 6 am to 4pm even if it is snowing when they have an urgent order to fill… and they work irregularly, and cheaply, and so they may not get work for an entire month. Fortunately, the Mexican consulate and my boss allowed me to go back to Mexico before the contract ended because my sister is very ill. They [my family] called me on Monday and I was back here on Wednesday. Fortunately, my boss is very kind but close to where I work there is injustice and they also need a group over there…
Rosita: My name is Rosita and I also work at Johnson Control Interiors, a transnational company and it is located close to Resurrección Park. It is the same company but at a different address and production… and there are also many strange things that happen with the union that supposedly represents us. Like the other Johnson [plants] they [the union] also side with management more than the workers and we cannot say anything because they threaten with firing us… if we get sick with a cold and now, it is rainy season and there is water dripping above our heads and although we tell them about it, nothing happens, and if we get sick, they deny the cause is the water dripping and say that the cold is a general health issue and not work related but it is in fact due to the environment in the company.... I am also learning to know more about our rights as workers and I think that if there are many discrepancies then the best thing is to learn more about our rights.
Leila: Hello and good afternoon. My name is Leila and I also work at Johnson Controls, the first company that my compañera [co-worker] mentioned. Because we have educated ourselves about our rights as workers, when we go to conduct an inspection inside the Johnson Controls plant, they hold a meeting with the workers [before we arrive] and they tell them there will be a visit, and they tell them to say that everything is alright; for instance, the inspections are always fine and that all workers enjoy good working conditions and that there are no accidents, that they always receive quality service awards and that they have received awards for health and safety and we requested their board to do an inspection and they took a year to respond to our request for an inspection…. They always say that we are workers and that we always want to defame the company, and that we are not content and that they have given us our severance pay and that we never wanted to accept it. This is why we have organized ourselves and we know that things are not like they say they are, that they are sugar-coating the facts and this is why we continue to unite forces among ourselves as a coalition so that we can truly face this company and just the same, I invite you to educate yourselves about your rights as workers so that you may deal with these situations because it is not just [a matter of fighting against companies like] Johnson Control, but it could also happen that other companies or organizations violate your rights as a worker...
From the University to the Mesa – and Back Again
Women spoke from their diverse experiences in relation to their working lives. For Justina it was important to take up the space of the university to denounce the numerous labour violations that compelled her and her coworkers to form a workers' led coalition named the Coalición Organizativa de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de Johson Control (COT-JC) to counter the grip of the CROM (Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana), a "charro" labour union that constantly alienated them in favour of management. Many workers from her plant have been working closely with el CAT over the last three years in intensive training on "labour human rights" to strengthen their leadership and organizing capacities to build a powerful independent worker coalition.
Leticia, a migrant farm worker in Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, on the other hand mentioned certain moments of her life in Canada that were the most tragic and depressing. And in retrospect she claimed that working in Canada allowed her to have something in her life for the very first time. She also mentioned the importance of J4MW organizers in the region who reached out to women migrant workers and that among them were Canadian women who learned to speak Spanish in order to do this community work. Citlali emphasized that her experiences in Canada have been more unpleasant than pleasant. She related about becoming injured at a farm and how she did not receive any support from the Mexican Consulate. She claimed that if she continued to offer details about life and work in Canada as a migrant woman worker that we would all be shedding tears. Marisela on the other hand focussed on the mistreatment migrant workers from Guatemala and Honduras confronted in another farm close to hers in Alberta. She in turn explained that the Consulate in the province was supportive when she needed to return to Mexico and that her employer was kind. Rosita, who works in another Johnson Controls plant, echoed the same kind of issues as Justina and stressed the importance of knowing one's labour human rights. Leila explained how the John Controls plant where she worked managed to constantly pass official quality control and labour inspections despite the substandard conditions workers experienced on a daily basis. For
Leila knowing and asserting one's rights are crucial.
Community organizers also intervened in the discussion to bring forth experiences from their grassroots work with marginalized communities. Evelyne Salinas from La Red Mujeres de la Bajia in the state of Guanajuato, for instance, talked about her work with women who stay behind in the other side of the labour migration bound to the USA and their holistic methodology for community determined development. She showed a video of a community forum her network organized about the impacts of migration in the rural communities in which they work. Luz del Carmen also discussed the plight of rural families in the Mixteca Poblana and the importance of aligning ourselves with the plight of our compañera trabajadoras [fellow women workers] whose life is much harder than our own. Blanca Velazquez Diaz, lead organizer and coordinator of el CAT reminded us that it has been women workers who have stepped up and led the organizing processes at the Johnson Controls plant in Puebla and that at the moment they were working towards formalizing their victory by officially defecting from the CROM. The mesa lasted over an hour and left the room filled with an exuberance of resistance and possibility.
The discussion focused on how organizing initiatives led by maquiladora women workers could be a model of resistance for workers in the SAWP. The answers were not clear cut and certainly remain an open question for all workers in the SAWP and their allies. However, migrant farm workers resist everyday in their work in life in Canada. And in Ontario a new coalition of migrant farm workers just formed named Dignidad Obrera Agricola Migrante (DOAM) comprised of workers who aspire finding a collective voice and analysis in their own struggle. DOAM is not waiting for legislation in the province to grant them permission to organize. Workers want to build their capacities in the here and now to become active agents in their movement as organizers (promotores) and perhaps one day as union leaders. J4MW is currently working with DOAM and taking from lessons learned with el CAT in Mexico and maquila organizing models in Central America to support these types of worker led organizing processes.
Yet the challenge remains to follow up on the connections and the synergies maquiladora and migrant women found among one another at the community mesa. As community organizers and researchers we were also sitting right beside our compañera trabajadoras and it is up to all of us to apply lessons learned in the diverse locations in which we find ourselves. As interlocutors and facilitators of these encounters and we must remain self-reflexive of the privilege we have to claim spaces where marginalized voices can hear their own echoes in the hearts and minds of others. We cannot forget that there is a very tangible power imbalance between us in the North and the women from the Global South, starting with the freedom we have to use our full names when reporting injustices or making claims without experiencing the same repercussions. There are many times when we see the world differently than our compañera trabajadoras, through our social mobility and particular theoretical lenses that differentiates us from where and how we live in the world. However, we are similarly committed to structural change and labour human rights, and in order to move our analysis out of the university and to the maquiladoras it is imperative that we come together and set the community mesa more often.
Addendum:
We were recently reminded that the struggle for human labour rights has diverse reverberations and consequences depending in the spaces in which they are waged. On April 28th two CAT organizers, Enrique Morales and Coral Juarez, were physically attacked on their way to San Toribio in Tlaxcala by thugs from the CROM. Now that el CAT's organizing work is rendering results with the worker's led independent coalition the CROM has escalated threats and violence in order to protect its turf. J4MW is closely monitoring this situation and contacting CAT organizers a daily basis to support any needed emergency responses.
To send off an online letter to denounce these labour human rights violations please visit: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1618/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3666
Refer to the International Metalworkers' Federation's alert on the matter with background materials at: http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=22956&l=2
The fight for labour human rights interrupts power relations between those who produce real wealth and those who usurp it. In Mexico and many countries that export workers as commodities to Canada, state complicity and impunity for perpetrators of labour human rights violations are widespread and as common el pan de cada dia (the daily bread). In our organizing work with migrant farm workers we know full well that Canada is complicit too. -EVEG-
By Evelyn Encalada Grez
May 23, 2010 (online version) ©
In February researchers from the International Migration Research Centre participated in "the First Forum on International Migration and Transnational Studies" hosted by the "Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla" (BUAP) in the capital of the state of Puebla in Mexico. This forum was part of a joint initiative with the centre through a Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) "North American Research Linkages" grant. The forum brought together researchers from all over Mexico, as well as Europe, Canada and the United States, to discuss points of interest in the ample field of transnational migration studies.
The IMRC sponsored a community mesa [round table] that bridged the divide between researchers and "the researched" that powerfully closed the forum. The community mesa in turn was organized by "Justice/Justicia for Migrant Workers" (J4MW) and the "Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador," Puebla (known as el CAT in Spanish) by bringing together women from the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) and women maquiladora workers in the auto-parts industry along with activists from grassroots organizations for much needed dialogue and reflection. This community mesa attests to the longstanding transnational work and networks established by J4MW in Mexico and Canada and a valuable institutional partnership with el CAT.
These spaces and exchanges are crucial to building new alliances and strengthening movements for transnational change. They also speak to the importance of activist based scholarship that seek to democratize academic spaces with the voices and representations of the very people and movements that inspire our academic and political commitments.
From the onset, it may appear that women migrant farm workers to Canada and maquiladora workers in Puebla and Tlaxcala, Mexico, have little in common. Yet both groups of women are integrated in the global economy through their work as transnational/internal migrant workers bound to foreign capital. Moreover, it could be argued that women in the SAWP work in rural spaces that function like agricultural maquiladoras, with lax labour laws and an absentee state favouring employers, profit and industry over the labour and human rights of workers. The women share hardships from their low income working class status and vulnerabilities that render them disposable to employers. Furthermore, the women have similar work and life trajectories. Many women in the SAWP have worked in maquiladoras, and many in the maquiladora industry - whether in textiles, electronics or auto parts - are internal migrants from diverse regions within Mexico and at some point in their lives become transnational migrants to mostly the US and some to Canada. Essentially, they live and work in the same place; in this instance in Puebla and Tlaxcala. They work in maquiladoras in one form or the other. And most importantly, both groups of women face serious reprisals and repercussions when they organize themselves and resist unfair labour practices. After their testimonies and reflections, any remaining differences faded with powerful intersecting commonalities among maquiladora and migrant women farm workers.
Women's Voices from the Mesa
The following are excerpts from the introductions women offered about their lives that set the tone for the remainder of the community mesa. Most of the women workers had never addressed a public audience in their lives and spoke straight from their hearts about their experiences and struggles. Pseudonyms had to be used and some parts of the testimonies had to be omitted in order to protect women's privacy to offset the very tangible threat of reprisals for speaking up and being "political".
Justina:...most of us who work at Johnson Controls [maquiladora plant in Parque Industrial Bralemex in Puebla with headquarters in Milwaukee] are from Tlaxcala, and we work under pressure, working 12 hour days and sometimes, we complete two shifts, which is 16 hours, and we only get one lunch break when we work 12 hours. There are many abuses, such as sexual harassment, and pregnant women also work 12 hour shifts and they are not allowed to leave once they finish their 8 hours. Their workload is not reduced even though they are expecting and some of them have lost their babies and so, these are the reasons why we felt obligated to organize ourselves and form the Johnson Control coalition. We are fighting to have our labour rights respected. We have a union, but they mostly defend the company's rights instead of our own and this is the reason why we are currently fighting to understand our rights and face our bosses so that our rights are never violated again. A group of us were fired because of our resistance. We are in the middle of a lawsuit at the moment, and we continue to educate [others] about our rights. We are determined to affect change and we are taking full advantage of this space that you have provided to us in order to denounce the injustices we face at work.
Leticia: My name is Leticia and I am a seasonal worker in Canada. I have worked there for 10 seasons, each 8 months long. I have worked at two different places and the although I had terrible housing conditions in the first one, I had a very good experience [at the second] because when I arrived, I had nothing and eventually I got used to it, but it is very difficult to adjust because we are from different cultures, levels of education and it is very difficult for us get used to life in Canada ...The hardest thing is to respect everyone, to have tolerance for everyone in order to avoid problems [among co-workers who they have to live and work with on a daily basis in Canada] and I like to observe and provide support [if they ask] I have worked with very young women and it is difficult because we have to leave our children and family behind… and the truth is that we have received a lot of support from organizations over there, like Justicia and Canadian students who support you very much and are interested in learning your language. I have not learned English, but my Canadian friends have learned perfect Spanish. They support us in many things, like going to the doctor where the language is a problem and then there are workshops on emotional health. Kate, [Justicia organizer] one of the compañeras and my friend knows a lot about this issue and she understands and supports us. I am very grateful to all of them [Justicia organizers] and I had nothing prepared to say today but I am happy to be here.
Citlali: My name is Citlali and I come from the state of Tlaxcala and I am also a migrant worker to Canada. I have been going to Canada for five years now and I think it is a short time, but in this period I have experienced more negative than positive experiences…I wanted to quickly mention is that here in Mexico there are unions for workers but in Canada we do not have one [cannot be part of one], so when we experience injustices and are exploited as workers, where do we turn? It has been said over and over again that the [Mexican] consulate does not take responsibility [for anyone]. I had an accident and I have lived this situation in the flesh and this is why I know that the consulate does not do anything. Another thing is that we pay a lot of taxes and we receive no benefits since we are Mexican workers. As Mexican citizens we are considered inferior [than Canadians] and unfortunately there is a lot of racism. The simple fact we are Mexican places a mark that makes us inferior to them [Canadians] and this is very sad for us... if I start to tell you all the things we go through, I think we will all start crying together...so I am just trying to give you an idea...so thank you very much.
Marisela: I am also a migrant worker. My name is Marisela and I am currently in the province of Alberta. Alberta is very pretty and vast, but it is very cold and there are also many injustices committed against us because they force us to work when it is snowing. I currently work in a greenhouse and the work is indoors but those who come from Guatemala, Honduras are in a farm where there are over 400 workers and they are forced to work from 6 am to 4pm even if it is snowing when they have an urgent order to fill… and they work irregularly, and cheaply, and so they may not get work for an entire month. Fortunately, the Mexican consulate and my boss allowed me to go back to Mexico before the contract ended because my sister is very ill. They [my family] called me on Monday and I was back here on Wednesday. Fortunately, my boss is very kind but close to where I work there is injustice and they also need a group over there…
Rosita: My name is Rosita and I also work at Johnson Control Interiors, a transnational company and it is located close to Resurrección Park. It is the same company but at a different address and production… and there are also many strange things that happen with the union that supposedly represents us. Like the other Johnson [plants] they [the union] also side with management more than the workers and we cannot say anything because they threaten with firing us… if we get sick with a cold and now, it is rainy season and there is water dripping above our heads and although we tell them about it, nothing happens, and if we get sick, they deny the cause is the water dripping and say that the cold is a general health issue and not work related but it is in fact due to the environment in the company.... I am also learning to know more about our rights as workers and I think that if there are many discrepancies then the best thing is to learn more about our rights.
Leila: Hello and good afternoon. My name is Leila and I also work at Johnson Controls, the first company that my compañera [co-worker] mentioned. Because we have educated ourselves about our rights as workers, when we go to conduct an inspection inside the Johnson Controls plant, they hold a meeting with the workers [before we arrive] and they tell them there will be a visit, and they tell them to say that everything is alright; for instance, the inspections are always fine and that all workers enjoy good working conditions and that there are no accidents, that they always receive quality service awards and that they have received awards for health and safety and we requested their board to do an inspection and they took a year to respond to our request for an inspection…. They always say that we are workers and that we always want to defame the company, and that we are not content and that they have given us our severance pay and that we never wanted to accept it. This is why we have organized ourselves and we know that things are not like they say they are, that they are sugar-coating the facts and this is why we continue to unite forces among ourselves as a coalition so that we can truly face this company and just the same, I invite you to educate yourselves about your rights as workers so that you may deal with these situations because it is not just [a matter of fighting against companies like] Johnson Control, but it could also happen that other companies or organizations violate your rights as a worker...
From the University to the Mesa – and Back Again
Women spoke from their diverse experiences in relation to their working lives. For Justina it was important to take up the space of the university to denounce the numerous labour violations that compelled her and her coworkers to form a workers' led coalition named the Coalición Organizativa de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de Johson Control (COT-JC) to counter the grip of the CROM (Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana), a "charro" labour union that constantly alienated them in favour of management. Many workers from her plant have been working closely with el CAT over the last three years in intensive training on "labour human rights" to strengthen their leadership and organizing capacities to build a powerful independent worker coalition.
Leticia, a migrant farm worker in Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, on the other hand mentioned certain moments of her life in Canada that were the most tragic and depressing. And in retrospect she claimed that working in Canada allowed her to have something in her life for the very first time. She also mentioned the importance of J4MW organizers in the region who reached out to women migrant workers and that among them were Canadian women who learned to speak Spanish in order to do this community work. Citlali emphasized that her experiences in Canada have been more unpleasant than pleasant. She related about becoming injured at a farm and how she did not receive any support from the Mexican Consulate. She claimed that if she continued to offer details about life and work in Canada as a migrant woman worker that we would all be shedding tears. Marisela on the other hand focussed on the mistreatment migrant workers from Guatemala and Honduras confronted in another farm close to hers in Alberta. She in turn explained that the Consulate in the province was supportive when she needed to return to Mexico and that her employer was kind. Rosita, who works in another Johnson Controls plant, echoed the same kind of issues as Justina and stressed the importance of knowing one's labour human rights. Leila explained how the John Controls plant where she worked managed to constantly pass official quality control and labour inspections despite the substandard conditions workers experienced on a daily basis. For
Leila knowing and asserting one's rights are crucial.
Community organizers also intervened in the discussion to bring forth experiences from their grassroots work with marginalized communities. Evelyne Salinas from La Red Mujeres de la Bajia in the state of Guanajuato, for instance, talked about her work with women who stay behind in the other side of the labour migration bound to the USA and their holistic methodology for community determined development. She showed a video of a community forum her network organized about the impacts of migration in the rural communities in which they work. Luz del Carmen also discussed the plight of rural families in the Mixteca Poblana and the importance of aligning ourselves with the plight of our compañera trabajadoras [fellow women workers] whose life is much harder than our own. Blanca Velazquez Diaz, lead organizer and coordinator of el CAT reminded us that it has been women workers who have stepped up and led the organizing processes at the Johnson Controls plant in Puebla and that at the moment they were working towards formalizing their victory by officially defecting from the CROM. The mesa lasted over an hour and left the room filled with an exuberance of resistance and possibility.
The discussion focused on how organizing initiatives led by maquiladora women workers could be a model of resistance for workers in the SAWP. The answers were not clear cut and certainly remain an open question for all workers in the SAWP and their allies. However, migrant farm workers resist everyday in their work in life in Canada. And in Ontario a new coalition of migrant farm workers just formed named Dignidad Obrera Agricola Migrante (DOAM) comprised of workers who aspire finding a collective voice and analysis in their own struggle. DOAM is not waiting for legislation in the province to grant them permission to organize. Workers want to build their capacities in the here and now to become active agents in their movement as organizers (promotores) and perhaps one day as union leaders. J4MW is currently working with DOAM and taking from lessons learned with el CAT in Mexico and maquila organizing models in Central America to support these types of worker led organizing processes.
Yet the challenge remains to follow up on the connections and the synergies maquiladora and migrant women found among one another at the community mesa. As community organizers and researchers we were also sitting right beside our compañera trabajadoras and it is up to all of us to apply lessons learned in the diverse locations in which we find ourselves. As interlocutors and facilitators of these encounters and we must remain self-reflexive of the privilege we have to claim spaces where marginalized voices can hear their own echoes in the hearts and minds of others. We cannot forget that there is a very tangible power imbalance between us in the North and the women from the Global South, starting with the freedom we have to use our full names when reporting injustices or making claims without experiencing the same repercussions. There are many times when we see the world differently than our compañera trabajadoras, through our social mobility and particular theoretical lenses that differentiates us from where and how we live in the world. However, we are similarly committed to structural change and labour human rights, and in order to move our analysis out of the university and to the maquiladoras it is imperative that we come together and set the community mesa more often.
Addendum:
We were recently reminded that the struggle for human labour rights has diverse reverberations and consequences depending in the spaces in which they are waged. On April 28th two CAT organizers, Enrique Morales and Coral Juarez, were physically attacked on their way to San Toribio in Tlaxcala by thugs from the CROM. Now that el CAT's organizing work is rendering results with the worker's led independent coalition the CROM has escalated threats and violence in order to protect its turf. J4MW is closely monitoring this situation and contacting CAT organizers a daily basis to support any needed emergency responses.
To send off an online letter to denounce these labour human rights violations please visit: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1618/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3666
Refer to the International Metalworkers' Federation's alert on the matter with background materials at: http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=22956&l=2
The fight for labour human rights interrupts power relations between those who produce real wealth and those who usurp it. In Mexico and many countries that export workers as commodities to Canada, state complicity and impunity for perpetrators of labour human rights violations are widespread and as common el pan de cada dia (the daily bread). In our organizing work with migrant farm workers we know full well that Canada is complicit too. -EVEG-
Tobacco planting begins
Posted By JEFF HELSDON — QMI Agency
Warm, dry weather last week made way for tobacco producers to start planting Thursday.
Only a few were in the fields, though, as most were expected to start on Monday.
"Typically anytime after the 20th of May planting starts in earnest, but that is so weather dependent," said Fred Neukamm, chairman of the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board. "We've had a lot of rain that slowed so many farm activities, not just tobacco. It delayed the remainder of corn planting, soybean planting and the soil needs to be properly drained for tobacco."
Neukamm pointed to the significant rain last week as the culprit, saying he still saw pooling of water in low spots in fields this week.
"That has to drain away before you could cultivate or start planting," he said.
Although the cooler, cloudy weather that accompanied the rain could slow plant growth in the greenhouse, Neukamm said typically as planting time approaches farmers are trying to hold back plants in the greenhouse or toughen them up through clipping. Tougher plants, he explained, are "less susceptible to transplant shock and more vigorous once they are in the field."
The crop to be planted is 49.5 million pounds of tobacco with an acreage of 20,331 acres. The number of licensees grew from 118 last year, which was the first year under contracting, to 264 this year.
Warm, dry weather last week made way for tobacco producers to start planting Thursday.
Only a few were in the fields, though, as most were expected to start on Monday.
"Typically anytime after the 20th of May planting starts in earnest, but that is so weather dependent," said Fred Neukamm, chairman of the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board. "We've had a lot of rain that slowed so many farm activities, not just tobacco. It delayed the remainder of corn planting, soybean planting and the soil needs to be properly drained for tobacco."
Neukamm pointed to the significant rain last week as the culprit, saying he still saw pooling of water in low spots in fields this week.
"That has to drain away before you could cultivate or start planting," he said.
Although the cooler, cloudy weather that accompanied the rain could slow plant growth in the greenhouse, Neukamm said typically as planting time approaches farmers are trying to hold back plants in the greenhouse or toughen them up through clipping. Tougher plants, he explained, are "less susceptible to transplant shock and more vigorous once they are in the field."
The crop to be planted is 49.5 million pounds of tobacco with an acreage of 20,331 acres. The number of licensees grew from 118 last year, which was the first year under contracting, to 264 this year.
Walk in Clinic in Simcoe to close its doors, negatively impacting migrant farm workers
From the Simcoe Reformer, Ontario, Canada
NB: Migrant workers in the region are once again being dismissed in the communities in which they live and work. Notice Dr. Hynscht's racist comments on having to look after "that"...
Closure will impact NGH
Posted 4 days ago
Wait times in the emergency department at Norfolk General Hospital are expected to climb dramatically once the walk-in clinic on West Street in Simcoe closes July 1.
Bill Lewis, president and CEO of NGH, will discuss the situation with the Ministry of Health and the Hamilton-Niagara- Haldimand-Brant Local Health Integration Network later this summer. Before he does so, Lewis will collect statistics on how much the closure has increased the hospital's workload.
"It's not a question of whether there will be an increase," Lewis said Tuesday. "It's a matter of how much."
The closure of the walk-in clinic came as a shock to those who rely on it. However, the move has been months in the planning.
Dr. Harold Hynscht, a physician at the clinic, says the Ministry of Health wants to do away with walk-in clinics because they are expensive and ineffective.
"It's good money to work in them," Hynscht said Tuesday. "But it's bad medicine. It's episodic and it's inconsistent. There is no comprehensive care."
It's not unusual for an attending physician to see 100 patients in an evening. Hynscht said a doctor cannot perform sound medicine under these conditions. He said local physicians are aging and increasingly unwilling to manage the high volume of traffic that comes through the office. Those doctors who continue to serve are burning out.
Hynscht added that the majority of people coming to the walk-in clinic are from outside Norfolk. Many are so sick that they are referred immediately to NGH.
The clinic's closure will create a health-care deficit in the local area for farmers who rely on off - shore labour. In recent years, offshore workers have become an increasing part of the clinic's workload.
"That's why I don't want to work there anymore," Hynscht said. "It's awful. It used to be only one or two would come through. But now they just drive the bus up on a Friday night. Frankly, that off ends me. Why should I have to look after that? Emergency at NGH is going to be a nightmare. But hey, it's not my problem."
Hynscht said wait times in the emergency ward at NGH could triple once the walk-in clinic closes.
As an alternative to walk-in clinics, the Ministry of Health is encouraging doctors
to organize themselves into Family Health Organizations (FHO). The FHO that will replace the walk-in clinic in Simcoe will be comprised of Dr. Hynscht, Dr. Bonnie Edwards, Dr. Mark Ghesquiere, Dr. John Hall, Dr. Mark Miller, Dr. Jeff Tschirhart, Dr. Gary Weber, Dr. Peter Wong and Dr. William Wynveen. Only registered patients of these doctors will continue to enjoy after-hours service at the West Street clinic.
FHO's differ substantially from the status quo because the province will pay participating physicians a salary (capitation) , not on a fee-for-service basis. The province believes this will lead to better health care while helping contain costs.
Hall believes the demise of walk-in clinics will lead to better health care in the long run. He said people must make the effort to sign up with a doctor and think twice about making demands on the system for comparatively minor complaints.
"They tend to be utilized by people who have physicians but who, for whatever reason, can't get in to see them or haven't even tried." Hall said.
Monte Sonnenberg 519-426-3528 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 519-426-3528 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext. 150
msonnenberg@ bowesnet. com
NB: Migrant workers in the region are once again being dismissed in the communities in which they live and work. Notice Dr. Hynscht's racist comments on having to look after "that"...
Closure will impact NGH
Posted 4 days ago
Wait times in the emergency department at Norfolk General Hospital are expected to climb dramatically once the walk-in clinic on West Street in Simcoe closes July 1.
Bill Lewis, president and CEO of NGH, will discuss the situation with the Ministry of Health and the Hamilton-Niagara- Haldimand-Brant Local Health Integration Network later this summer. Before he does so, Lewis will collect statistics on how much the closure has increased the hospital's workload.
"It's not a question of whether there will be an increase," Lewis said Tuesday. "It's a matter of how much."
The closure of the walk-in clinic came as a shock to those who rely on it. However, the move has been months in the planning.
Dr. Harold Hynscht, a physician at the clinic, says the Ministry of Health wants to do away with walk-in clinics because they are expensive and ineffective.
"It's good money to work in them," Hynscht said Tuesday. "But it's bad medicine. It's episodic and it's inconsistent. There is no comprehensive care."
It's not unusual for an attending physician to see 100 patients in an evening. Hynscht said a doctor cannot perform sound medicine under these conditions. He said local physicians are aging and increasingly unwilling to manage the high volume of traffic that comes through the office. Those doctors who continue to serve are burning out.
Hynscht added that the majority of people coming to the walk-in clinic are from outside Norfolk. Many are so sick that they are referred immediately to NGH.
The clinic's closure will create a health-care deficit in the local area for farmers who rely on off - shore labour. In recent years, offshore workers have become an increasing part of the clinic's workload.
"That's why I don't want to work there anymore," Hynscht said. "It's awful. It used to be only one or two would come through. But now they just drive the bus up on a Friday night. Frankly, that off ends me. Why should I have to look after that? Emergency at NGH is going to be a nightmare. But hey, it's not my problem."
Hynscht said wait times in the emergency ward at NGH could triple once the walk-in clinic closes.
As an alternative to walk-in clinics, the Ministry of Health is encouraging doctors
to organize themselves into Family Health Organizations (FHO). The FHO that will replace the walk-in clinic in Simcoe will be comprised of Dr. Hynscht, Dr. Bonnie Edwards, Dr. Mark Ghesquiere, Dr. John Hall, Dr. Mark Miller, Dr. Jeff Tschirhart, Dr. Gary Weber, Dr. Peter Wong and Dr. William Wynveen. Only registered patients of these doctors will continue to enjoy after-hours service at the West Street clinic.
FHO's differ substantially from the status quo because the province will pay participating physicians a salary (capitation) , not on a fee-for-service basis. The province believes this will lead to better health care while helping contain costs.
Hall believes the demise of walk-in clinics will lead to better health care in the long run. He said people must make the effort to sign up with a doctor and think twice about making demands on the system for comparatively minor complaints.
"They tend to be utilized by people who have physicians but who, for whatever reason, can't get in to see them or haven't even tried." Hall said.
Monte Sonnenberg 519-426-3528 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 519-426-3528 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext. 150
msonnenberg@ bowesnet. com
Sunday, April 11, 2010
En riesgo constante agrícolas mexicanos que laboran en Canadá
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2010/04/11/trabajadores-temporales-en-canada-regresan-enfermos-o-lastimados-investigadora/discussion_reply_form
La mayoría retornan sin recibir atención médica y en México tampoco reciben tratamiento.
La Jornada On Line
Publicado: 11/04/2010 08:22
México. Quienes participan en el Programa de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales México-Canadá (PTAT) corren riesgos sanitarios y de salud de manera constante, dijo en la UNAM, Jenna L. Hennebry, de la Universidad Wilfrid Laurier.
Por ello, recomendó que los empleadores registren a sus asalariados en el sistema de salud local para evitar ponerlos en condiciones de vulnerabilidad extrema.
La mayoría de los emigrantes mexicanos emprenden el camino de regreso a casa enfermos o lastimados, sin haber sido atendidos debidamente en Canadá. La situación se complica al llegar a México, donde tampoco reciben el tratamiento requerido.
Quienes participan en el Programa de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales México-Canadá (PTAT) corren riesgos sanitarios y de salud de manera constante, fenómeno que debería ser abordado desde una estrategia transnacional, porque esta problemática no conoce fronteras, expuso en la UNAM, Jenna L. Hennebry, de la Universidad Wilfrid Laurier (WLU, por sus siglas en inglés).
El índice de participación de mexicanos en el PTAT ha crecido de manera constante en función de la demanda canadiense de mano de obra. En 1974, se inscribieron 203 trabajadores, y en 2007, laboraron en Canadá más de 14 mil al amparo de este programa.
Además, entre enero y marzo de 2008, participaron cuatro mil 769 personas, cifra superior a la registrada el año anterior en el mismo período, que fue de cuatro mil siete.
Al dictar la ponencia Entrar bajo su propio riesgo: migrantes mexicanos agrícolas en Canadá, señaló que el estatus extranjero del trabajador y su acceso a los servicios de salud se encuentran íntimamente ligados.
Por ello, es recomendable que los empleadores registren a sus asalariados en el sistema de salud local para evitar ponerlos en condiciones de vulnerabilidad extrema.
“Debemos pensar en cómo proteger las garantías individuales y la salud de los trabajadores temporales, porque en ocasiones éstos no cuentan siquiera con la protección de su nación”, apuntó.
Por ello, propuso crear un sistema que reporte problemas, accidentes o abuso cometidos contra esta población, porque en este rubro hay un gran hueco y los mexicanos no se sienten representados por su consulado.
“También es indispensable mejorar las condiciones de vivienda, laboral y de salud, e impartir clases de inglés y entrenamiento en campos que vayan más allá de lo agrario, así como hacer que se inscriban y permanezcan en la escuela”, indicó.
Recordó que los migrantes mexicanos no sólo se arriesgan al participar en el Programa Temporal, sino que el largo periodo de separación de sus familias y comunidades los hace susceptibles a enfermedades mentales, tensión e inclusive violencia doméstica.
El PTAT, que opera desde 1974 por un acuerdo entre los gobiernos de México y Canadá, debía de permitir el flujo migratorio ordenado y brindar certeza sobre las condiciones de trabajo y derechos laborales; sin embargo, esto no se cumple a cabalidad, apuntó.
A su vez, advirtió que los trabajadores no pueden cambiar de empleador, aunque éste cometa abusos. “No tienen otra opción, y menos si lo que buscan es regresar a México”.
La especialista del Departamento de Sociología de la WLU destacó que el gobierno canadiense se está concentrando en un nuevo programa y poniendo de lado al PTAT. “Este esquema contempla menos reglas, pero más explotación de los trabajadores”.
“Debemos establecer una dependencia trasnacional conformada por inmigrantes, empleadores, gobiernos y comunidades para mejorar la salud ocupacional y seguridad laboral, ya que la migración temporal se está expendiendo en el ramo ocupacional”, concluyó.
La mayoría retornan sin recibir atención médica y en México tampoco reciben tratamiento.
La Jornada On Line
Publicado: 11/04/2010 08:22
México. Quienes participan en el Programa de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales México-Canadá (PTAT) corren riesgos sanitarios y de salud de manera constante, dijo en la UNAM, Jenna L. Hennebry, de la Universidad Wilfrid Laurier.
Por ello, recomendó que los empleadores registren a sus asalariados en el sistema de salud local para evitar ponerlos en condiciones de vulnerabilidad extrema.
La mayoría de los emigrantes mexicanos emprenden el camino de regreso a casa enfermos o lastimados, sin haber sido atendidos debidamente en Canadá. La situación se complica al llegar a México, donde tampoco reciben el tratamiento requerido.
Quienes participan en el Programa de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales México-Canadá (PTAT) corren riesgos sanitarios y de salud de manera constante, fenómeno que debería ser abordado desde una estrategia transnacional, porque esta problemática no conoce fronteras, expuso en la UNAM, Jenna L. Hennebry, de la Universidad Wilfrid Laurier (WLU, por sus siglas en inglés).
El índice de participación de mexicanos en el PTAT ha crecido de manera constante en función de la demanda canadiense de mano de obra. En 1974, se inscribieron 203 trabajadores, y en 2007, laboraron en Canadá más de 14 mil al amparo de este programa.
Además, entre enero y marzo de 2008, participaron cuatro mil 769 personas, cifra superior a la registrada el año anterior en el mismo período, que fue de cuatro mil siete.
Al dictar la ponencia Entrar bajo su propio riesgo: migrantes mexicanos agrícolas en Canadá, señaló que el estatus extranjero del trabajador y su acceso a los servicios de salud se encuentran íntimamente ligados.
Por ello, es recomendable que los empleadores registren a sus asalariados en el sistema de salud local para evitar ponerlos en condiciones de vulnerabilidad extrema.
“Debemos pensar en cómo proteger las garantías individuales y la salud de los trabajadores temporales, porque en ocasiones éstos no cuentan siquiera con la protección de su nación”, apuntó.
Por ello, propuso crear un sistema que reporte problemas, accidentes o abuso cometidos contra esta población, porque en este rubro hay un gran hueco y los mexicanos no se sienten representados por su consulado.
“También es indispensable mejorar las condiciones de vivienda, laboral y de salud, e impartir clases de inglés y entrenamiento en campos que vayan más allá de lo agrario, así como hacer que se inscriban y permanezcan en la escuela”, indicó.
Recordó que los migrantes mexicanos no sólo se arriesgan al participar en el Programa Temporal, sino que el largo periodo de separación de sus familias y comunidades los hace susceptibles a enfermedades mentales, tensión e inclusive violencia doméstica.
El PTAT, que opera desde 1974 por un acuerdo entre los gobiernos de México y Canadá, debía de permitir el flujo migratorio ordenado y brindar certeza sobre las condiciones de trabajo y derechos laborales; sin embargo, esto no se cumple a cabalidad, apuntó.
A su vez, advirtió que los trabajadores no pueden cambiar de empleador, aunque éste cometa abusos. “No tienen otra opción, y menos si lo que buscan es regresar a México”.
La especialista del Departamento de Sociología de la WLU destacó que el gobierno canadiense se está concentrando en un nuevo programa y poniendo de lado al PTAT. “Este esquema contempla menos reglas, pero más explotación de los trabajadores”.
“Debemos establecer una dependencia trasnacional conformada por inmigrantes, empleadores, gobiernos y comunidades para mejorar la salud ocupacional y seguridad laboral, ya que la migración temporal se está expendiendo en el ramo ocupacional”, concluyó.
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