1 of 1 2 of 1

The young Mexican was working with a machine that processes baby-cut carrots at a Surrey farm when he almost cut off his finger.

With his finger dangling off his hand, he screamed, and his employer came running. Instead of taking him to the hospital, the boss asked if the machine was not broken.

The employer cleaned the worker’s hand with water, applied a few bandages, put a plastic glove on it, and ordered the man to continue working.

This story and others are recounted in forthcoming book Invisibles and Disposables by Raúl Gatica, executive director of the Vancouver-based Migrant Workers’ Dignity Association (MWDA).

The same story is also included in Beyond Our Plate, a report prepared by MWDA that will be released on Sunday (December 18) in observance of International Migrants Day.

Migrants’ day will be commemorated at the West End's Gordon Neighbourhood House (1019 Broughton Street) by MWDA and Migrante B.C. Doors open 3:30 p.m.

The report was the result of interviews with more than 1,300 temporary foreign farm workers (TFFWs) across B.C. The workers are mostly from Mexico, Guatemala, Caribbean countries, and the Philippines.

According to the report, all TFFWs are tied to a work permit with a single employer. “This legal construct guarantees the vulnerability, abuse, and silencing of workers in return for cheap and exploitable labour for the employers,” the report noted.

The report documented the working and living experiences of TFFWs, raising hard questions along the way: “Why are Canadians concerned with eating local and organic produce but do not care about the unethical treatment of TFFWs?” the report asked. “What is the real price that we are paying for our food?”

Farm workers in Surrey, Pitt Meadows, and Kelowna related their housing conditions. In many cases, 40 people have to live together in a small farmhouse.

The report cites WorkSafeBC statistics indicating that from 2010 to 2014, there were 610 injuries and 13 work-related deaths among TFFWs in B.C. “Many of the injuries happen because TFFWs do not get enough break time to rest, or are forced to do dangerous jobs, including activities outside the scope of their contracts,” according to the report.

Beyond Our Plates also noted that one of the difficulties for TFFWs is that if they ask their rights to be respected, they will be blacklisted by employers and the governments of their home countries. “There are several cases where employers hold workers' documents, including passports, work permits, and even portions of wages, which, under Canadian law, is a crime,” the report stated.

The report described the conditions of many farm workers as a form of “new slavery and social apartheid”. “Workers come to Canada mostly because there are very few job opportunities at home. They also believe that Canada is a fair country. Unfortunately, isolation, racism and linguistic discrimination impede their capacity to assert their rights,” the report noted.

Beyond Our Plates makes a number of recommendations for measures to be undertaken by the federal and provincial government.

One of these is the creation of a special committee within WorkSafeBC to "address the health and safety issues of farm workers".

It also appeals to consumers to take some responsibility in helping the vulnerable workers: “For the benefit of all, we must work not only to get organic and local food but also food that has been planted and harvested in an ethical way, which means respecting the labour and human rights of the workers who produce it.”