Fred Steele
There is so much confusion today about the various foreign worker programs I thought it was time to write a column so people will have a better understanding what is going on and how things are actually improving.
In BC we have had the SAWP (Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program) for about a decade. Many Canadians believe it’s a new trend when in fact it’s operated in Ontario for fifty years now. Since coming to BC the program has seen continued improvement for workers and farmers alike. Ten years ago the program started with two employees. Today, the program has nearly two thousand Mexican and Jamaican foreign workers.
A companion program, administered by the BC Fruit Growers Association finds work for Canadians that want to work in the industry.
Housing has been an issue in the past and is in a state of constant improvement. Most of the traditional pickers cabins as we fondly called them are being phased out in favor of ATCO Trailers and new building facilities designed to meet the needs of employees and Municipal and Regional District regulations.
There are many costs from forms to transportation and airfare associated with hiring foreign workers. Some say why not hire Canadians? The fact is the seasons are changing and climate change is having an effect. Post secondary students from Eastern Canada are still in school when workers are needed for pruning. The cherry season that used to start at the end of June now starts in the first two weeks of June, and runs well into the late summer, at least until the Labour Day weekend. New varieties and high elevation plantings of many varieties has extended many of the varieties by volume tonnage as well. In other words the changing climate has changed the work pattern requirement for available labour.
How do these programs differ? The Foreign Worker Program is an agreement between the employee and the employer. Beyond the paperwork to get the employee to Canada there is little government involvement. In addition there is the Foreign Worker Agriculture Stream as its called and enables workers to come to Canada from a variety of countries such as Central America for example. There is also a program that allows workers to come and work on farms and travel. This program is for younger workers and allows the applicant a chance to visit and work for a specific period of time.
The most important program involves Mexico and the Caribbean. The Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program is the best known and most utilized by the farm industry.
There is supervisory protection for workers under the watchful eye of the Mexican and Canadian governments.
Everything from working conditions to housing is monitored and inspected and works well. For those who point to some minor incidents it should be noted many of the problems are minor and are usually dealt with within a day.
Protection for workers is taken seriously and in a few situations the workers have been removed and relocated to other farms.
It should be noted there are many foreign workers working on farms in BC, yet the majority of the agricultural workforce is Canadian.
So what about wages and benefits? The fact is wages are negotiated before employees arrive, as are the accommodations, transportation, meals, housing and CPP which employees are entitled to.
One of the emerging issues if finding a pathway to citizenship.
Since the dawn of the tree fruit industry there has been a path of succession. First came the British, the French, Belgians, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, Japanese, and at present the Indo Canadian community. This important progression has helped our industry grow and prosper as each new group comes, invests, and builds upon the efforts of those who came before. We need to ensure this progression continues. We want the farm workers to come and work but we also want them to become part of our community. The tree fruit industry is growing and the future is bright. Ensuring we have the right mix of people in the workplaces is important for the future success vital to the interiors economy. So the question is how do we ensure a workforce for the future and down which road will they come?
Fred Steele, President BCFGA