Ken Forth of the Foreign Agricultural Resources Management
Service is denying union accusations that Ontario farmers discriminate against
women when they recruit seasonal workers from Mexico.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union has filed a
complaint with human rights tribunals in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec,
accusing farmers of specifying they want only men and that’s why less than four
per cent of the seasonal workers recruited from Mexico are women.
But Forth says many Ontario farmers prefer women and simply
can’t get them.
The Mexican government chooses who may participate, he says.
There may be some situations where farmers prefer their
recruits to be of the same gender because of housing, Forth said.
He called the union complaint ludicrous and said someone is
trying to make something out of nothing.
The union has lobbied constantly for improved conditions for
imported seasonal workers and has unsuccessfully tried to recruit them into
union locals.
Ontario legislation has made it difficult to unionize farm
workers; the province has had to amend its legislation twice after losing
union-backed court challenges.
