Improving living and working conditions for Ontario’s seasonal and temporary farm workers

As spring arrives, Ontario’s fruit and vegetable farms are once again welcoming seasonal and temporary farm workers from other countries.

After the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, many improvements have been made to support and protect the workers who come to help grow the food Ontarians enjoy as part of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program’s agricultural stream.

Bill George, grape grower and chair of the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) Labour Committee, said five years ago, growers were unsure whether they would have workers to grow and harvest the many fruit and vegetable crops.

“Workers didn’t know whether they’d be able to come here to work. Those were stressful times for everyone, but five years later, it’s remarkable how much positive change has resulted since then,” George said. “These important programs are still sometimes portrayed as leaving workers vulnerable without adequate housing or knowledge of their rights or the protections they’re entitled to, but a truly collaborative effort by farm employers, various levels of government and by the workers’ home countries has gone a long way to addressing legitimate concerns brought forward,” he adds.

Legal work programs like SAWP and the TFW program have strong rules that are regularly reviewed and updated. One key area of focus has been worker housing. While a new national housing standard is still being developed, many Ontario farmers have already proactively upgraded their housing at their own expense far beyond any existing regional standards and proposed changes. This housing is typically provided to farm workers for free (SAWP) or at minimal cost (no more than $30/week in the TFW program).

Another measure that has been put in place in recent years is the creation of open work permits for vulnerable workers, which allows workers in the TFW program to leave a problematic workplace and move to another employer. Workers in the SAWP can also request a transfer to another approved farm through their country’s consulate or liaison office.