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OVERVIEW
HUMAN RIGHTS

MIGRANT WORKER RIGHTS

UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE

Migrant farmworkers represent the backbone and marrow of our agricultural economy. Yet these individuals are one of the least protected from on-the-job harms — ranging from intimidation, harassment, and wage theft, to extreme working conditions, pesticide exposure, and injuries.

GET THE FACTS

  1. Migrant workers are those who temporarily live in another country to work in agriculture, construction, meatpacking, landscaping, day labor, and disaster response demolition and clean-up.

  2. In addition to inadequate labor laws, migrant workers in agriculture face exposure to dangerous weather conditions, ill-maintained equipment, and pesticide exposure. Children of migrant workers are even more vulnerable to the harsh conditions faced by all farm workers, because their bodies and minds are still growing and developing.

  3. Migrant workers and their children – many of whom have been uprooted by conflict, disaster or poverty – frequently risk being forced into work and even trafficked, especially if they are migrating alone or taking irregular routes with their families.

  4. Studies have documented elevated risks of chronic diseases in migrant farmworkers exposed to pesticides, including cancer, birth defects and learning disabilities.

Learn More

Woman in a Field

BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION

  1. Sign a petition to PM Trudeau in support of migrant workers.

  2. Talk to your favorite local shops about the frequency of migrant workers in their supply chains; encourage them to work with their suppliers to establish systems that protect migrant workers' rights.

  3. Donate to Farmworker Justice organization to support meaningful change.

  4. Write to your favorite companies asking them to actively seek out and eliminate forced labor in their supply chain.

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