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A migrant farmworker in Southern Ontario said: “I worked in Ontario as a migrant agricultural worker for five seasons. In my last season, I was injured when my supervisor, playing dangerous pranks with a cart, finally caused an accident that hurt my ankle. Despite the pain, I was told not to be a ‘little girl’ and to continue working. I pushed through the pain that day, but the next morning, it was unbearable. I informed HR that I needed medical attention. They didn’t give me time off, but I went to the emergency department anyway. My ankle was fractured, and the doctor advised ten days of rest. Two days later, two individuals sent by my employer showed up at the bunkhouse with a flight ticket and insisted I pack up and leave for the airport to return to Mexico. Feeling trapped and unsure, I did what they asked."
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
- Employer
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Mexico
- Sector unknown
, Men
, Unknown migration status
)
Issues
Gender Discrimination
,
Injuries
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Restricted access to medicines
,
Denial of leave
,
Restricted mobility
,
Dismissal
Response
Response sought: No
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Jan 2024
Location:
Canada
A migrant worker in Southern Ontario said: “When I came to work in Canada in agriculture for the first time, I was very excited about the opportunity. However, after a week, I was assigned to spray pesticides, something I had never done before. When I asked my supervisor how to protect myself, she asked me if I was gay. I sprayed pesticides for about five months, but it started making me sick, causing nausea and difficulty breathing. A rash appeared on my neck and hands, and I saw a doctor. The doctor diagnosed an allergy and prescribed medication. When I told my supervisor and asked not to spray anymore, she said they no longer needed me. The next day, I was handed a ticket and pressured to return to Guatemala or face deportation. I had to leave, and now I still have to pay the loan I took to go to Canada.”
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
- Employer
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Guatemala
, Agriculture & livestock
, Men
, Unknown migration status
)
A migrant farmworker in Southern Ontario said: “I arrived for my first season in 2018. Initially, I was shocked by the accommodation I was provided. In Mexico, we were told we would be provided comfortable accommodation at the farm. I never thought that meant to share a bunkhouse with 19 other people with only one washroom, two stoves and one refrigerator. There was no cabinet where I could store my things. I just had to live out of my suitcase and had a lock on my bag. There were cockroaches, so we had to keep everything in tight containers. I would seldom cook as having so many people cook a meal simultaneously is impossible, so eating out was an unexpected expense. But the worst thing of all was that there were cockroaches and bugs. We had no heating, and it got freezing. There was even ice inside the window. I had never experienced winter and did not have any appropriate clothing, no one guided us on how to prepare for such temperatures."
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
- Employer
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Mexico
, Agriculture & livestock
, Men
, Unknown migration status
)
Issues
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions
,
Right to Food
,
Occupational Health & Safety
Response
Response sought: No
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Jan 2024
Location:
Canada
A migrant farmworker in Southern Ontario said: "We never received health and safety training at the farm, nor were we provided proper gear or masks to protect ourselves from the COVID-19 virus or pesticides. We couldn’t practice physical distancing as we had to work in groups and we had to share the cellar converted into our living quarters. We were forced to live in overcrowded conditions, 40 people in an old shed, split into three rooms, 12-14 people per room. The place was infested with cockroaches, bedbugs, damaged mattresses, broken stoves and refrigerators, and no AC or heating system. We were not allowed to leave the place, or we would get sent back home. While working inside the greenhouse, I was tasked with applying pesticides to the crops without adequate protective gear or training. Later, I learned that the re-entry time in the greenhouse, after the pesticide was sprayed, is between 24-48 hours to protect workers from poisoning, but this was not the case. Sometimes, we were told to spray with workers present. Occasionally, workers would wait outside but re-enter as soon as we were done spraying. Despite my protests over the absence of safety precautions, I was told to complete the assignment. At night or after spraying the pesticide, I experienced instant symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and breathing problems due to this exposure. I ignored these red flags and continued with my work, not realizing the long-term effects of my actions. We had to pay $8 per week to get gloves of bad quality as they broke immediately. In September 2021, a COVID-19 outbreak happened. Over 25 migrant workers tested positive for COVID-19." The company allegedly did not inform the workers that colleagues had tested positive. The workers had to continue to work despite being ill.
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
- Employer
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Location unknown
, Agriculture & livestock
, Gender not reported
, Unknown migration status
)
Issues
Access to Information
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Illness
,
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions
,
Restricted mobility
,
Access to Non-Judicial Remedy
,
Denial of leave
Response
Response sought: No
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Jan 2024
Location:
Canada
A migrant worker in Southern Ontario said: “Working here is very tough, with immense pressure. Migrant workers are suspended from work without pay daily for not achieving a quota. It seems like our employer sees us as machines or maybe slaves. But I don’t have opportunities back home, so I must endure these conditions to support my family and parents back home; they are counting on me, so I give my best not to get suspended for even a day.”
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
- Employer
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Location unknown
, Agriculture & livestock
, Gender not reported
, Unknown migration status
)
Issues
Excessive production targets
,
Wage Theft
,
Intimidation
Response
Response sought: No
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Jan 2024
Location:
Canada
A migrant worker in Southern Ontario said: "I worked in Leamington for three seasons in a greenhouse. It was a very tough job physically and mentally, but I had two kids and my parents to support back home, so I kept coming and enduring the abuses. Supervisors, HR, the owner, everybody was abusive. They would yell at us, insult us, and push us away. Finally, a supervisor came to me one afternoon and told me he wanted to test if I was a team player. He said he was feeling stressed and needed me to get on my knees and help him out. I was terrified and tried to run away, but he grabbed my hair. I fought him off with all I had and was able to get away. I fled that day and never returned there."
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
- Employer
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Location unknown
, Agriculture & livestock
, Women
)
Issues
Intimidation
,
Violence
,
Rape & sexual abuse
Response
Response sought: No
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Jan 2024
Location:
Canada
A migrant farmworker in Southern Ontario said: "Since I began working in 2018, I experienced harassment, insults, and intimidation regularly from supervisors. They told me that if I did not work fast enough, I would be punished with no work or be sent back to Guatemala. They always emphasized that Guatemalan workers are worthless and made racist comments against our culture and background. On my first day of work, I was suspended with no work or pay for two days because I did not achieve the set quota of stapling the Tomato plants in 30 min. It had taken me 35 min. I was also suspended for two days because I changed my gloves, and according to my supervisor, I was wasting time. Once, I got suspended because there was a broken Pepper on the floor. I was standing close by, so I was made responsible for wasting the product and sent home again for two days without pay. We had to work seven days a week and were constantly harassed and made fun of by our supervisors. We were all punished for anything. The employer wanted us to know and feel they had all the power, and we had none. Finally, I left the farm in September 2021 due to physical, psychological, and financial abuse. "
Other
Not Reported (
Agriculture & livestock
)
Affected
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: (
Number unknown
- Guatemala
, Agriculture & livestock
, Men
, Unknown migration status
)
Issues
Intimidation
,
Harassment (other than sexual)
,
Excessive production targets
,
Racial, ethnicity, caste or origin discrimination
,
Wage Theft
,
Denial of leave
...Agricultural workers are exposed to a two-fold higher risk of on-the-job fatalities than workers in other industries. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that at least 170,000 agricultural workers worldwide lose their lives annually, with millions more suffering severe injuries or poisoning from agrochemicals. Over the last decade, agricultural mortality rates have remained high while other hazardous occupations have declined. However, underreporting of deaths and injuries in agriculture skews the true extent of occupational hazards beyond official records.5
Agriculture ranks among the most dangerous industries in developed countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States. Surprisingly, it is often excluded from national labour laws, and comprehensive international and national standards for better worker protection are lacking.
The use of complex technologies, inadequate equipment, environmental factors, and insufficient safety measures contribute to the risks faced by agricultural workers. Working with cutting tools, machinery and exposure to pesticides and agrochemicals pose significant health hazards. Tractor and machinery-related accidents are leading causes of injuries and fatalities in farm occupations...