Policies from the 1960s still in place today are being challenged in court by seasonal agricultural workers who say the policies allowed them to be denied benefits and exploited as reported in a recent article by CP24. Plaintiffs say they were left vulnerable to labor abuse at the hands of their employers due to these outdated policies that are both racist and unconstitutional. 

They treat dogs better than men 

Kevin Palmer, one of the plaintiffs who worked in Canada for six years as a laborer said his experience shows how currently, they “treat dogs better than men”. The suit describes how Kevin had to live in one room with 12 other men, didn’t get paid for overtime he worked, and his health declined due to the pesticides he had to spray. Then, when he was let go without notice, he was forced to leave the country as his work permit was tied to that specific employer. Despite him having paid into the employment insurance (EI) premiums each paycheck, he was also ineligible to receive the employment insurance benefit he had paid into, which is available to Canadian citizens. 

Read full article here.