A protest for migrant workers' rights
There is a renewed call for a coroner’s inquest into the death of two Jamaican migrant farm workers who died in the line of duty, after all charges were dropped against the three members of the family-owned farm.
The decision to drop the charges, as The Camera reported last week, has led to an outcry among many who are associated with farm workers. Ralston White 36, and Paul Roach 44 died while working to repair a pump in a vinegar vat at Filsinger’s Farm in Ayton, Ontario in September 2010.
Although the owners of the farm were facing charges under the Ontario Health and Safety Act in the matter, a deal was struck where only a supervisor agreed to plead guilty to one charge and was fined $22,500. The fine is said to be the lowest in the history of workers health and safety cases.
Chris Ramsaroop, spokesperson for Justica for Migrant Workers (J4MW), an advocacy group for the rights of migrant workers in Canada, says the coroner’s inquest would provide much needed answers to the families of these workers. He said J4MW is looking at a similar case, where three Mennonites died on a farm in Drayton, Ontario, in a manure tank 12 years ago and a coroner’s inquest was called.
J4MW is exploring ways to have some justice brought to the families of the two workers.
The group is developing a strategy to bring awareness of the issue. One of the actions being touted is an event on Ontario Family Day, as both farm workers had families who relied on them for financial support.
Every year there are almost 19,000 migrant workers who come to Canada from the Caribbean and Mexico to work in Canada's agricultural industry. J4MW said workers are subject to exploitative working and living conditions while in Canada, and are not protected by basic health and safety legislation.
Over the last 12 years, 33 migrant workers have died in the line of work in Ontario. As well, more than 1,100 workers have been deported or repatriated for medical reasons.
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