Another victory: Itzel won over $500 in stolen wages!

In 2024, while working for a contractor in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Itzel had $500 stolen from her paycheck, deducted without her knowledge or consent for so-called “missing items” on the construction site. There was no proof, no process, just theft.


This is wage theft, and it’s happening every day across Canada. Employers are pocketing millions by stealing from the very people who build, clean, cook, and care, leaving workers hungry and their families in crisis.


But Itzel didn’t stay silent. She said, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.” With the support of an organizer from the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC), she made a plan, filed a case with the Ministry of Labour, and won.


This is what power looks like. When workers organize, we win. Itzel’s victory is a testimony that no one is alone, and no boss is above the law.


She’s calling on all workers: Join MWAC. Know your rights. Fight back.


 Because when we fight together, we win together.
 United, we are stronger!

How to Apply for Permanent Residency on Humanitarian Grounds: Everything You Should Know!

Are you planning to apply for permanent residency under Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds? Or do you need help updating your application while you wait for a decision? Join us on Sunday, October 26 for an online workshop where we will guide you through everything you need to know — from eligibility to documentation and next steps.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get free, practical information for you and/or your family.

Date: Sunday, October 26, 2025

Time: 7:00 PM – Ontario | 8:00 PM – New Brunswick | 5:00 PM – Alberta | 4:00 PM – British Columbia

Location: Online (Link will be shared upon registration)

Migrants: You could be saving $1.20 on every TTC ride! 

Are you on a study or a work permit or are you a refugee or non-status?

You might be able to get cheap TTC fare!

To qualify – you must meet the following conditions:

  • You must tell us that you make the income cut-off – no proof is required. Check the form for specifics.
  • You must live in Toronto.

Register now to join us in Toronto at our offices on October 19 at 2pm, and we will assist you in applying for this lower-fare program.

If you do not meet the criteria but are struggling at work, or have immigration issues, join us to learn about your rights and other programs you may be eligible for.

Space is limited. Registration required. Please forward this event to other migrants you believe are eligible – they must all register individually.  

We are only supporting migrants – if you’re not a migrant, go here to learn more: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/transit-discount/.

Migrant Farmworkers United: October 2025 Newsletter

👋🏿 Welcome to the latest newsletter! Here you will find news and activities for migrant farm workers this October.

Have news, ideas, or questions?
✅ Message Kit on WhatsApp: 905-324-2840

📰 News

  • 🎤︎︎🎶 September 8: Congratulations to all participants in the karaoke contest in NOTL! Philip won best performance 🏆
  • 📣 September 20: Over 20,000 people took action in 70 cities across Canada to send a message to PM Carney and demand:
    • Respect Indigenous rights
    • Stop arming genocide
    • Permanent immigration status for all
    • End the era of fossil fuels
    • Protect public services

🗓️ Events & Actions

  • October 5: MWAC organizers visit Leamington and Kingsville. Message Kit on WhatsApp to link up: 905-324-2840
  • October 7-8: MWAC organizers visit Tillsonburg and Simcoe. Want to connect? Message Kit on WhatsApp: 905-324-2840
  • October 26: Online info session about end-of-season rights for seasonal workers. Message Kit to sign up: 905-324-2840

👥 Meetings

  • September 29, 8pm: Monthly farmworker members meeting. 📍Online
  • October 27, 8pm: Monthly farmworker members meeting. 📍Online

Want to join a meeting in October and help shape the farm work program for future generations? We’d love to see you! Just send a WhatsApp message to Kit at 905-324-2840.

✅ Stay up-to-date

⚠️ Report abuse & unsafe work

If you face disrespect, abuse, or unsafe work or housing:
Try to get proof if you can. You have rights!
Without proof, your options are limited.

Need support?
Message Kit privately on WhatsApp at 905-324-2840.
Everything you share is confidential. You’re not alone.

United, we are stronger!

Support Eric’s Recovery

He fed Canadians for 18 years. Now he needs our support.

Eric is a 52-year-old father of four from Jamaica who has spent nearly two decades living and working in Norfolk County, putting food on Canadians’ tables.

But now Eric is fighting for his life. He has survived three strokes – the first in 2022, another in May 2025, and the most recent at the end of July 2025. After his stroke in May, Eric struggled to keep up in the fields under the hot sun and lost his job, leaving him without income for rent, food, or medication. His most recent stroke left him unable to swallow. He now relies on a feeding tube and urgently needs a suction device to breathe and eat safely.

Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program will cover 75% of the cost, but Eric must pay the remaining amount up front. He also needs feeding bags, a blender to prepare food himself, plus ongoing medications. Having given up his apartment when he entered hospital in July, Eric now faces discharge from the rehabilitative therapy program without a safe place to live. We are seeking to raise $10,500 to cover 6 months of living expenses (see below for breakdown of costs).

Eric is a kind, soft-spoken man who has contributed to this country for almost 20 years. Today, he is left without income, housing, or health support. This is where you come in.

👉 Donate now to help Eric cover the costs of his urgent medical equipment, food, housing, and recovery.

👉 Share this fundraiser with friends, family, neighbours, and coworkers.

👉 Support migrant farm workers’ demand for permanent status for all. Without permanent status, thousands of migrant workers like Eric are excluded from basic rights and access to life-saving care. Sign the petition: migrantworkersalliance.org/WeFeedCanada

This fundraiser is part of a larger struggle for migrant justice. We demand permanent resident status for all, so that all migrants have equal access to healthcare, housing, and family unity.

After feeding Canadians for nearly two decades, let’s make sure Eric receives the care and dignity he deserves.

Breakdown of expenses

Housing: $900/month

Medication (including insulin, test strips, and stroke prevention): ~$500/month

Phone: $50/month

Food: ~$300/month

NEWS: Bad Boss Fined for Injuring Another Worker

Highline Produce faces another fine – this time for $115,000 – after another mushroom farm worker was critically injured by a netting machine at one of their facilities in Kingsville, Ontario. An investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour determined that proper safety measures and procedures were not in place to keep workers safe in 2023. Highline pleaded guilty to violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

This isn’t the first time that Highline has failed to keep workers safe. The company was fined two times in 2019 : 1) $75,000 after a worker was caught in a moving cable, and 2) $90,000 when a worker was caught and dragged into a conveyer.

This shows that fines alone do not help keep workers safe, and for bad bosses they are just another cost of doing business. Without permanent status, migrant workers are denied the tools we need to speak up about unsafe conditions and protect ourselves!

Highline Produce employs over 120 migrant workers in Ontario and has facilities in Kingsville, Leamington, and Wellington (close to Belleville, ON).

Last year in their BC facilities, nearly 400 migrant farm workers unionized. In Ontario, farm workers are excluded from the right to unionize or bargain collectively.

Unfair laws don’t stop us from uniting together to take action and win change for all migrants!

Are you a migrant farm worker?

Are you worried about unsafe conditions at work? Are you tired of being mistreated by your boss or supervisor?

You are not alone! Workers like you are uniting together to take action and win change, and we want to hear from you.

✅ Send a message to MWAC organizer Kit on WhatsApp to learn more: 905-324-2840

✅ Tap to sign the petition to demand equality, not exclusion!: migrantrights.ca/equality

United, we are stronger!

Migrant Farmworkers United: September 2025 Newsletter

👋🏿 Welcome to the latest newsletter! Here you will find news and activities for migrant farm workers this September.

Have news, ideas, or questions?
✅ Message Kit on WhatsApp: 905-324-2840

📰 News

  • ⚽ On August 10, MWAC farmworker members and supporters participated in the 6th Annual Farms of Norfolk Football Tournament in Simcoe. We met new workers and handed out helpline flyers and sunglasses. We shared food and dance moves. Congratulations to the winning team, see you next year!
  • ⚠️ In mid-August, we reported a farm in Niagara for housing violations. An inspector from Niagara Region Public Health gave their prompt attention to the report and inspected the houses. Do you have bad housing conditions on your farm? Message Kit to learn about your options: 905-324-2840
  • On August 24, a migrant farmworker from Mexico named Sergio was reported missing in Tsawwassen, BC. With deep sadness, he was found deceased days later. We extend our sincere condolences and solidarity to his family, coworkers, and community. His memory will remain with us always. 
  • On August 31, farmworker members of MWAC met online to connect with workers from other farms, discuss plans, and offer encouragement to each other. During our closing time of upliftment, one of our members shared:

“Protect your mental health. It’s not easy leaving our families, we need to find ways to cope. No matter what you’re going through, you’re not alone. Reach out and connect.”

– MWAC Farmworker leader

🗓️ Events & Actions

  • 🙏🏾 September 3, 10am: Migrant justice prayer circle (Online). A monthly time for prayer, reflection, and encouragement. Everyone is welcome – join from your phone! Message Kit for the Zoom link: 905-324-2840
  • 🎤︎︎🎶 September 8, 7-9pm: Karaoke Competition Night in NOTL. Free event with food, friends, and prizes! 📍 Message Kit for location.
  • September 14, 5:30pm: Caribbean-Canadian Centre + Evening Celebration Service. Join for food and fellowship at Southridge Church in Vineland.
  • 📣 September 20, 12pm: Draw the Line global day of action in Niagara Falls.
  • September 28, 5:30pm: Join the last Caribbean-Canadian Centre for games night at Southridge Church in Vineland.

👥 Meetings

  • August 31, 8pm: Monthly farmworker members meeting 📍 Online.
  • September 29, 8pm: Monthly farmworker members meeting. 📍Online.

Want to join a meeting in September and help shape the farm work program for future generations? We’d love to see you! Just send a WhatsApp message to Kit at 905-324-2840.

✅ Stay up-to-date

⚠️ Report abuse & unsafe work

If you face disrespect, abuse, or unsafe work or housing:
Try to get proof if you can. You have rights!
Without proof, your options are limited.

Need support?
Message Kit privately on WhatsApp at 905-324-2840.
Everything you share is confidential. You’re not alone.

United, we are stronger!

Draw the Line Art Party for Status for All! 

Draw the Line Art Party for Status for All!

Join us on September 7 to make Status for All signs and banners for the Draw the Line Rally and March on September 20 in Toronto! We will paint, create art, and get ready to make our message loud and clear: Status for All!

The September 20 Draw the Line action is a big day that brings together migrant justice, Indigenous land defenders, workers and unions, anti-war and climate groups. There will be many demands, and we want to show ours too! Let’s come together and make art that represents our fight for Status for All and full rights for all migrant and undocumented people.

📅 Sunday, September 7
🕐 1–4 PM (drop in anytime)
📍 720 Spadina Ave, Second Floor, Suite 202
🍎 Snacks provided

To register for this event just fill up this form, everything you share is 100% confidential.