In 2023, while working on a closed work permit in New Brunswick’s fishery sector, Itzel faced unexpected layoffs due to a lobster shortage. This is a common issue in the Atlantic fishery sector, leaving hundreds of workers without income and having to put food on their tables and pay rent.
When Itzel was denied unemployment insurance, she refused to accept it. With the support of our organization, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, she fought for her rights and ultimately won over $2,000 in EI benefits.
Itzel’s victory shows that we can win when we stand united and fight for their rights.
She encourages all workers to join the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and fight for our rights!
Have questions? We got you! Send a WhatsApp message with your name, location, and question to 905-324-2840.
Check out the new 2025 workbook, this is your farmworker rights digital booklet! This workbook will help you understand your contract, learn about your rights, and help you protect yourself against abuse.
You can flip through the digital version. If you want to order a paper copy sign up the confidential form below we will deliver a copy to your farm in Canada free of charge.
If you have an expired or expiring work permit (post-graduate, LMIA, employer-sponsored, spousal, refugee), sign up to get more information about your rights and immigration options.
Immigration laws are changing fast and you’re not alone! By the end of 2024, more than 200,000 post-graduate work permits (PGWP) and nearly 1.2 million total permits will expire. Already, many graduated international students and migrant workers are being fired, laid off or working for cash because their work permits cannot be renewed.
It shouldn’t be this way – all workers should be able to work with rights and protections. Together, we can win fairness.
2 important things you may not know about your pay:
1. All workers in Ontario
Minimum wage went up to $17.20/hr on October 1, 2024. This is legally the lowest amount that the boss can pay you. Wages went up because workers like you fought for and won laws that tie wages to inflation. That means when prices go up, so does our pay. What other changes can we fight for and win together?
If you’re working in Canada after October 1, remember to check your wage statement (pay stub) and make sure your pay reflects this raise. You must be paid at least $17.20 per hour, even if you work a cash job.
If your boss is paying you less than $17.20/hour after October 1, they are breaking the law. You’re not alone and you have options! Send a WhatsApp message with the key words “FAIR PAY” to 905-324-2840 to learn more. Everything you share is private and confidential.
2. Farm workers on the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (8 month contract or less)
Look at your contract, section 3 clause 2. [Don’t have a copy of your contract? Tap here to read it online.]
This means that all your work hours combined over the season must equal at least an average of 40 hours per week. Even if you did not work an average minimum of 40 hours a week over the season, your boss agrees to pay you for this amount.
To find out if you’ve been paid properly for the full season:
Look at your paystubs from 2024 and add together all the total hours you worked
Take this total number and divide it by the number of weeks you worked over the season
The number must be 40 or higher
If the number is 39 or less, or if you’re having trouble calculating your hours, send a WhatsApp message with the key words “FAIR PAY” to 905-324-2840. Everything you share is private and confidential.
The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) is an organization for and by migrants. We are uniting to win rights at work and immigration justice.
Our members are migrants only! This means you are currently or were recently in Canada without permanent resident status.
By becoming a member, you will learn more about your rights as a worker, have access to support, build your leadership skills and be part of our movement to ensure rights and justice for all. Members participate in monthly meetings, as well as online and in-person activities and become part of a supportive community of workers & friends.
Members believe in building our collective power and being in solidarity with workers speaking up for justice anywhere in the world. See below for the list of responsibilities and benefits of becoming a member!
Fill out the membership form to apply to be a member and we will be in touch!
Membership Form
Member Responsibilities
Attend at least 6 out of 12 meetings per year (either in-person or online);
Receive regular communication and respond to them
Participate in regular trainings, events and activities;
Outreach to other workers, and invite them to be part of our movement; and
Represent the collective voice of migrants and Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.
Member Benefits
You join a community of migrant leaders fighting for change;
Get invited to special events and receive support from others in a similar situation;
Opportunities to speak to elected officials, decision-makers and the media;
Get priority support (attention) if you are facing problem or if you are being treated unfairly;
Get free workshops and training on topics such as workplace rights; immigration issues; taxes and Employment Insurance; accessing health care and social support systems; and collective organizing 101.
It’s that time of year – school fees are due and hours on the farm are slowing down as the cost of everything keeps going up 😮💨 For those of us who are off the farmwork program, it’s getting harder to find work and pay rent, while also supporting our families back home. It’s too much to bear and we feel alone in our struggles. (Keep reading to learn how you arenot alone!)
At the same time, racist politicians are lying to citizens and blaming migrants for theirown government’s failures – lack of healthcare access and housing, expensive food and bills, and more. The government is making it harder for us to come to Canada and harder to stay. It’s not right!
That’s why migrant and citizen workers are uniting together this September to take action and say NO to racism, YES to justice – can we count on you to join us?
Making history as the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, Hurricane Beryl left a trail of destruction that devastated migrant farmworker communities in the Caribbean. Farmworkers feed you and sustain the Canadian economy – now they are asking for your support to keep food on their families’ tables and rebuild their homes.
40 farmworker members of MWAC and their families in Jamaica and St Vincent have been impacted by the storm and we are seeking $150/member in emergency funds for food, home repairs, and flood recovery.
$10 can buy 10 chicken noodle soup mix packets
$58 can purchase a large zinc roofing sheet
UPDATE (10/24/2024): 13 families have urgent needs and so far we have raised enough to support ten – we are just $450 away from our goal.
Did you know there are changes to your contract this year that impact your taxes? According to section 7, by signing the contract you are designating the liaison office to submit and file your tax returns. This means you no longer have a choice to file your own taxes or hire a professional!
There are many issues with giving the liaison office responsibility for taxes, including delayed and misplaced tax returns, lack of access to CRA account, and even theft. This isn’t fair!
What problems have you experienced with the liaison filing your taxes? Let us know so that we can collect evidence and show how big this problem is! Together we can unite and win change to benefit all farmworkers and our families.
Migrant cherry workers in the Okanagan region of BC (Lake Country, Kelowna, Oliver, etc) are reporting that cherry farms have closed, their requests have been cancelled, and Jamaican women are being told there are no placements for female workers. This is unfair!
Are you one of these workers affected by closures? We need to hear from you! Take action now and share your story – fill out the survey below! Everything you share is private and confidential; survey is only complete when you press the red button at the end.
Did you know that wages for migrant farmworkers were updated recently? Keep reading to make sure you’re being paid correctly!
How to find your rights on wages
As a migrant farmworker, you have certain rights according to your contract – including wages. Do you know where to look in your contract for information about your wages?
If you’re a seasonal farmworker (8 months contract or less), look at page 4 of your contract under “PAYMENT OF WAGES“. What does it say?
It says that your boss must pay you weekly wages at a rate that is equal to or above the following rates, whichever rate is highest:
The provincial wage for farmworkers according to where you work;
The prevailing (or median) wage rate for the type of work you do in the area where you’re employed, as decided by Employment and Social Development Canada (the government department that administers the seasonal farmwork program); OR
The wages that your boss is paying other seasonal workers who are doing the same type of work you do.
Often the second option (prevailing or median wage) is the highest, and this rate is updated every year so be sure to check back each season. The most recent update was November 29, 2023. Are you being paid properly? Keep reading to find out!
How to find your wage rate
First, look at your work permit under “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION” and find where it says “OCCUPATION/PROFESSION“. What does it say?
In the white box, type the occupation that’s listed on your work permit. Press the blue “Search” button.
Then, scroll down to where it says “Hourly wages by community/area“. You will see 3 columns: Low ($/hour), Median ($/hour), and High ($/hour).
Finally, find the region where you’re employed and look under the Median ($/hour) column in the middle. Whatever rate is stated there is your rate of pay according to your contract.
How to report contract violations
Is your boss not paying you correctly? Not sure if your wages are right?
You’re not alone! Message Kit on WhatsApp at 905-324-2840 for support.
