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For the past year, the Cooper Institute has been conducting a project exploring the issues
surrounding temporary foreign workers in PEI.
The Cooper Institute operates on a philosophy and practice of inclusion by gender, economic
class, race/ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, abilities, age, etc. Most of Cooper Institute's
work is done through participatory action, research, workshops, and seminars within a community
development model. This work is based on the assumption that those who are experiencing a given
situation are the experts. The role of animators from the Institute is: to bring forth that experience
from the participants; to facilitate analysis by which the participants recognize the root causes of
their group's situation; to facilitate discovery of the available strengths and resources at the
group's disposal; and to identify concrete and feasible action which would change the situation. Its
main program streams are food sovereignty, livable income, and cultural diversity and inclusion.
The growth of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in PEI has implications for each of these
areas.
The research regarding the temporary foreign worker program is only one aspect of Cooper
Institute’s work on this issue. This project is a grassroots, community-building initiative that seeks
to build knowledge and understanding for the purposes of sustainable community development. In
addition to research, Cooper Institute is continually engaged in the process of knowledge building,
community engagement, and advocacy. The information gained through this project was gathered
from available government documents, recent Canadian reports, and through direct consultation
with employers, workers, community members, and program administrators.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Project identifies the various federal programs governing the
Temporary Foreign Worker Program and how these are manifested in PEI. This document offers
information on the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program and how the different streams of
this program are manifesting in PEI. An effort is made to provide a holistic picture of the impacts of
this program on communities, employers, local and foreign workers as it has emerged from
consultations.
Unlike some other Canadian provinces, the PEI government does not currently have a role in
the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Given current trends, the employment of temporary
foreign workers in PEI will undoubtedly continue to grow. In that case, greater provincial
administration is required. This document offers an introduction to issues that need to be
considered when developing provincial administration of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
This report also includes recommendations for policy changes that will address some of the gaps in
the program.
Cooper Institute’s work is primarily focused on temporary foreign workers who experience a
high degree of vulnerability -- those hired through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
(SAWP), the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training, (Pilot
Project)1 and the Live-in Caregiver Program. With the exception of some agricultural workers, this
project does not address temporary foreign workers who are in higher skill classes and eligible for
the Canadian Experience Class.