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As you may have heard, thousands of Mexican and Guatemalan migrant agriculture workers come to work in Canadian fields under the Seasonal Agriculture Workers Program (SAWP). Their contributions to Canada’s economy are tremendous: they work for up to 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. They pay taxes, Employment Insurance, and contribute to the Canadian Pension Plan. Unfortunately, they are not treated with the dignity or respect that we think every worker in Canada receives. When workers face sickness, injuries in the workplace, or abuse from employers, the Mexican or the Guatemalan Consulates rarely defend them.

In Vancouver, the Mexican Consulate has given harsh “workshops” to agriculture workers telling them that if they complain about their work conditions, cause trouble to their employers, or speak to anybody other than their employers they will easily lose their jobs. In fact, many workers have lost their jobs or have been blacklisted just because they sought help, got sick, or asked questions about their rights. Migrant workers’ labour rights have died in Canadian fields.

This is why for over 20 years the United Food and Commerce Workers (UFCW) and the Agriculture Workers Alliance, (AWA) have been struggling alongside migrant workers to defend their labour rights across Canada. This is why UFCW & the AWA sued the Mexican Consulate of Vancouver at the Labour Board on May 9 of 2011, as its tactics of threatening workers are against Canadian Law. This is why we demonstrated against the blacklisting of workers in front of the Mexican Consulate on October 17, 2011. This is why we are again preparing a new demonstration and hope that you, Canadians of good hearts, lovers of equity and social justice, will join us.

We are inviting you to participate in this demonstration, a Migrant Workers’ Rights Funeral, next Monday, November 14, from 12 (noon) to 1 PM. We will join at the entrance of the Mexican Consulate (710-1177 W Hastings Street) where we will demand the Mexican Consulate stops blacklisting workers and respects Canadian laws!

For more information call us: 778-578-9411 or send us an e-mail to surrey@awa-ata.ca

Please let us know if you can attend and bring your friends.

What: demo in support of migrant agriculture workers and against blacklisting by the Mexican Consulate
When: Monday, November 14, at 12:00 PM(noon)
Where: We will gather at the Mexican Consulate (710-1177 W Hastings Street) from 12 pm (at noon) to 1 PM, carrying a coffin and some crosses “to bury the workers’ rights”.