Migrant worker calls proposed spike in housing cost payroll deduction 'wickedness'

An Ontario migrant farm worker says there is "wickedness" in a federal government proposal that could allow employers to charge workers upwards of 30 per cent of their income for housing.

The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change shared with The Canadian Press a discussion paper from Employment and Social Development Canada. The document outlines possible regulations for a new temporary worker stream for agricultural and fish processing workers.

The planned stream would include sector-specific work permits. That would allow temporary workers to work for any qualified employer in a specific field, instead of having their work permit tied to a specific job.

This new stream isn't expected to be active until 2027 at the earliest, according to the discussion paper.

The discussion paper sets out a range of possible housing deductions employers could charge for shelter. At the highest end of that range, the government is considering a deduction of 30 per cent of pre-tax income — about $1,000 per month, according to the discussion paper.

A migrant worker from Jamaica — The Canadian Press has agreed not to name him, due to his fear of reprisal from his employer — said that if the highest level of deduction is implemented, his $600 after-tax weekly pay packet will be stretched even thinner.

"That is wickedness. I am working for $17.23 per hour," he said.

"It seems like they want the program to become harder because if I am working, and they're taking so much money from me, then I won't have anything to send back home to my family or buy food here in Canada just to survive."

A statement from Employment and Social Development Canada, the agency that oversees the temporary worker program, said they held "extensive consultation" on the agriculture and fish processing stream. This includes talks with international partners, industry stakeholders and migrant worker support organizations such as the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

The "paper-based consultation" included these discussion papers, which cover topics like healthcare, employer-provided transportation, wages and deductions.

That consultation process is now over, and federal employment and immigration officials are currently reviewing the feedback.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation defines affordable housing as anything costing less than 30 per cent of a household's pre-tax income.

The discussion paper says the lowest housing deduction being considered by the federal government is five per cent, which it estimates would cost workers about $180 monthly.

The amount a migrant worker can be charged for a housing deduction depends on the kind of temporary work program they're in.

Those in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program cannot be charged by their employer for housing. Workers with low wage stream permits, such as those working for fish processors, can be charged up to 30 per cent of their earnings for employer-provided housing.

Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, said a 30 per cent housing deduction would be "a massive theft" of wages "without improvement in their lives."

"It's incredibly hypocritical that it's being framed as improvements and a response to the United Nations calling Canada's temporary immigration system a breeding ground for exploitation and slavery," he said.

Last year, the UN released a report saying Canada's temporary worker program is a "breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery" because it ties work permits to jobs.

The report said this creates an institutionalized power imbalance because workers may be deported if they are fired and employers have "limited incentive to ensure decent working conditions."

The Jamaican migrant worker said that he's been told he needs to keep working and stay in line because there are "10 more Jamaicans waiting for your job."

"We don't really have a choice because if we did have a choice I'd be home with my family. The job situation in Jamaica is not really good. It's hard at the moment," he said.

Hussan also said the housing standards Ottawa cites in the discussion paper are inadequate and not enforceable. The discussion paper cites the need for "sufficient" ventilation and "adequate" plumbing.

Hussan said this looks like a shift from the federal government's 2020 proposal for housing regulations, which said migrant worker dwellings need to be able to maintain an indoor temperature of 20 to 25 degrees.

The migrant worker who spoke to The Canadian Press said that he and his roommates often need to stay outside until 10 or 11 p.m. so their bunkhouse can cool down because it doesn't have air conditioning.

"There is no A/C in the house and it is OK, it's legal for them. The bosses are not breaking any rules because at the start of the season, these houses are supposed to be inspected and passed by the relevant authorities so they are not breaking any rules," he said.

The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change said it wants to see migrant workers given permanent residency status so they're better able to stand up for their rights.

The government's discussion paper talks about creating a sector-specific permit for the planned agriculture and fish processing stream. This would mean someone holding this type of permit could work for any qualifying employer instead of having their work permit tied to a specific job.

Hussan said this proposal still wouldn't provide labour mobility because the pool of employers that meet the program's criteria is small, and the rural areas where many seasonal workers live and work often have poor cell or internet coverage.

"If you're working in New Brunswick, how do you find out that there's an employer in Ontario, or in B.C. or in Quebec who has an unfilled (Labour Market Impact Assessment), right?" Hussan said.

"If you wanted labour mobility, you'd say, 'You can just work wherever you want.' Which is what you and I have, the ability to change jobs."