Deck 21: Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: Unequal by Design

Question 1

Which of the following is not true about Temporary Foreign Worker Programs (TFWP)?

A) They are an example of the temporary labour migration.
B) In TFWP, people migrate for a limited time to do a specific job.
C) They decreased significantly in OECD countries before the pandemic.
D) They are designed to select highly skilled individuals to migrate for short periods of time.
E) In Canada, it is a government program that allows individuals who neither have Canadian citizenship nor permanent residence to work in Canada.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

On average how many temporary migrant agricultural (MA) workers come to Canada per year?

A) Close to 60,000
B) Close to 10,000
C) Close to 100,000
D) Close to 80,000
E) None of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Where do temporary migrant agricultural (MA) workers usually come from?

A) South America, the Caribbean, and Africa
B) Africa, Mexico, and Asia
C) Asia, the Caribbean, and South America
D) Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
E) a and d are correct

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What does SAWP stand for?

A) Summer Agricultural Workers' Program
B) Seasonal Agricultural Women's Program
C) Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Program
D) Seasonal Agrarian Women's Program
E) Seasonal Agrarian Worker's Program

Question 5

Which of the following best describes how Temporary Foreign Worker Programs worldwide relate to the rise of inequality globally?

A) People in their home countries have a harder time providing for their families due to structural inequalities.
B) Migrants are moving from lower-income countries to higher-income countries to be able to provide for their families.
C) Affluent countries use immigration to address their demographic and economic needs.
D) Affluent countries benefit from a flexible and precarious workforce without granting permanent residency to foreign workers.
E) All of the above

Question 6

What was the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP)?

A) It was the first general temporary foreign migrant worker program, setting the framework for current temporary migration programs, like the SAWP.
B) It is the last updated version of the temporary foreign migrant worker program, created using the framework from other programs like the SAWP.
C) Together with the SAWP program, it is one of the temporary foreign migrant worker programs that are active in Canada.
D) It was introduced in Canada on January 7, 1966.
E) a and d are correct

Question 7

Which one of the following is not part of the basic policy features of the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP)?

A) Visitors who wanted to work in Canada were subjected to limitations.
B) Workers were only allowed to stay for a certain amount of time.
C) Workers admitted under the program could only stay in Canada for the term of their job, which was usually more than a year.
D) Migrant workers couldn't apply for work permits or visa extensions from within Canada.
E) Temporary foreign workers were assigned to a specific employer and were not legally allowed to switch employers.

Question 8

The Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP) was initially designed to attract which of the following?

A) Skilled workers
B) Seasonal workers (i.e. farmworkers)
C) Occupation-specific workers (i.e live-in-caregivers)
D) Low-skill workers
E) All of the above

Question 9

The SAWP now includes all of the following countries except?

A) Barbados
B) Bolivia
C) Mexico
D) Trinidad and Tobago
E) Montserrat

Question 10

How many agricultural positions were filled in 2019 in Canada by the MA worker program?

A) Over 60,000 individuals, representing roughly 85% of agricultural positions in Canada
B) Over 85,000 individuals, representing roughly 60% of agricultural positions in Canada
C) Over 10,000 individuals, representing roughly 20% of agricultural positions in Canada
D) Over 6,000 individuals, representing roughly 8.5% of agricultural positions in Canada
E) None of the above

Question 11

Which two streams do migrant workers enter the Canadian job market under?

A) The Ag Stream and the NIEAP
B) The SAWP Ag Stream and Bg stream
C) The TFWP and the SAWP
D) The SAWP and the NIEAP
E) The NIEAP and the TFWP Ag stream

Question 12

Which two government divisions administer the SAWP?

A) Immigration Services Canada and Human Resources Agency Canada
B) Immigration Services Canada and Skills Development Canada
C) Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Service Canada
D) Foreign Workers Services Canada and Immigration Services Canada
E) Service Canada with involvement from Citizenship and Immigration Canada in certain aspects of the program

Question 13

What is the first step for being approved by the government to hire workers under the SAWP?

A) Paying a nominal fee and the completion of a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
B) Paying a fee designated by each province and the completion of a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
C) Paying a substantial fee, proving the ability to provide and care for workers, and the completion of a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
D) Online completion of a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and business registration in the program
E) The completion of a Labour Market Influence Assessment (LMIA) only

Question 14

Which of the following is not information that may be included in the LMIA form?

A) The number of employees on the farm
B) The name of specific workers
C) Commodities produced on the farm
D) Method of production
E) None of the above

Question 15

Where are the highest ratio of agricultural workers from?

A) Three-fourths are predominantly men from Latin America
B) Three-fourths are predominantly men from Mexico
C) Three-fourths are predominantly women from Latin America
D) Three-fourths are predominantly from Mexico, Jamaica, and Guatemala
E) None of the above

Question 16

In contrast to the SAWP, other migrant workers programs like the Canadian Experience Class program give migrant workers what advantage?

A) The Canadian Experience Class program allows foreign graduates with Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residency.
B) The Canadian Experience Class program is designated for highly skilled workers.
C) In the Canadian Experience Class program, workers have access to permanent residency.
D) The Canadian Experience Class program allows skilled workers to apply for permanent residency.
E) All of the above are correct

Question 17

What is the estimated percentage of workers who finish their contract under the SWAP? Why is this outstanding?

A) 65.9%, which is outstanding considering the low rate of occupational health hazards in these low-risk lines of work
B) 98.5%, which is outstanding considering the nature of the occupational health hazards in these dangerous lines of work
C) 58%, which is outstanding considering the nature of the occupational health hazards in these dangerous lines of work
D) 25.9%, which is outstanding considering the low rate of occupational health hazards in these low-risk lines of work
E) None of the above

Question 18

What are "3-D" jobs?

A) Dedicated, determined, and dignified
B) Design, dependable, and deliverables
C) Detrimental, devious, and dexterous
D) Dirty, dangerous, and demanding
E) Dogmatic, dysfunctional and dangerous

Question 19

Which one of the following is not an example of the restrictive nature of the work permit given to workers in the SAWP?

A) Limits workers' right to change employers
B) Limits workers' right to access legal work entitlements
C) Workers have little flexibility in the duration of their work
D) Workers have little flexibility in choosing the kind of work they do
E) None of the above

Question 20

Which of the following is not included under Employment Insurance (EI)?

A) Compassionate care benefits
B) Sickness benefits
C) Voluntary unemployment benefits
D) Maternity benefits
E) Parental benefits

Question 21

Unlike permanent immigrants, SAWP workers do not have access to which of the following?

A) English language training
B) Government assistance programs
C) Full Employment Insurance
D) In some provinces, there are no services provided to temporary workers whatsoever.
E) All of the above

Question 22

Since many MA workers live on the work premises, which of the following is not an example of the challenges they face through this condition?

A) Employers have significant control over the spaces where they live and sleep.
B) They have no boundaries between social activities and work.
C) They have the flexibility for food choices and personal purchases.
D) Employers have control over the information provided to the workers
E) There is limited room to make friends outside of the farm.

Question 23

Which of the following is another group with precarious migration status?

A) Non-status residents
B) Refugee claimants
C) Permanent residents
D) a and b are correct
E) Students with working visa

Question 24

Which of the following has the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) called upon the federal government to do?

A) To change the laws that contribute to worker vulnerability and employment insecurity
B) To end the designation of a worker to a single employer
C) To allow migrant workers a direct route to permanent residency
D) To end some of the provincial barriers that currently restrict the labour and collective bargaining rights of agricultural workers
E) All of the above

Question 25

Which of the following is not a challenge faced by SAWP workers?

A) They are often relegated to highly precarious sectors of agricultural work
B) They earn low wages
C) Their work is characterized by very long hours of work with few breaks
D) Their work is characterized by extreme safety standards
E) a and c are correct

Question 26

Temporary labour migration refers to when a person migrates for a limited time to do a specific job.

Question 27

Temporary Foreign Worker Programs (TFWP) decreased significantly, reaching 4.8 million in 2018, compared with 5.1 million in 2017 (OECD 2020).

Question 28

In Canada, temporary foreign workers work for a limited time in sectors of the economy that are facing labour shortages.

Question 29

Temporary migrant workers have become an increasingly essential aspect of immigration and labour policy as the NIEAP has expanded.

Question 30

Under the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP), temporary foreign workers could legally change their place of employment even if only one employer was mentioned on their work permit.

Question 31

The Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Agreement (SAWP) was established in 1966 as a pilot program between Canada and Mexico.

Question 32

The SAWP includes a mixture of occupations, permitting different lengths of work.

Question 33

With a positive LMIA, the government provides the employer with several specified workers to interview and see if they are a good fit for their organization.

Question 34

Because the SAWP is one of the few migration choices open to Latin American migrant women, particularly single moms from impoverished and rural areas, the program has grown in popularity.

Question 35

At the end of their work contract, migrant agricultural (MA) workers can return to their home country or stay in Canada and search for another type of work.

Question 36

The SAWP is intended to deter settlement and does not provide for family reunification or eventual permanent residency.

Question 37

The agriculture sector in Canada is one of the most hazardous industries to work in, having one of the highest rates of occupational risks and deaths.

Question 38

'3-D' workers work longer hours for less compensation and face more workplace risks since they lack the same legal safeguards as permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

Question 39

Employers obtain all of the information they need to hire a worker under the SAWP, including training, job history, and skill level.

Question 40

Employers associate certain traits in workers to their ethnic groups, making them develop preferences and discriminate against certain groups in their hiring decisions.

Question 41

Migrants who enter the nation through the Temporary Migrant Workers Programs are afforded the same level of protection under provincial employment standards as their Canadian counterparts and are able to exercise their labour rights in the same manner.

Question 42

Workers who have become unemployed involuntarily through no fault of their own and are attempting to re-enter the workforce are temporarily compensated under the government employment insurance (EI) program.

Question 43

EI contributions are made by both temporary foreign workers and their employers; because of this, temporary foreign workers benefit from the system when they are unemployed.

Question 44

EI claimants must demonstrate that they are capable of and available for work, and that they have been unable to find acceptable employment.

Question 45

Despite the importance of migrant agricultural labourers, unlike temporary migrants in other streams of immigration, they do not have a clear path to citizenship.

Question 46

While lower-skilled temporary workers have the opportunity to get permanent residency in Canada, highly skilled workers have very limited options.

Question 47

SAWP workers, despite paying taxes and contributing to social assistance programs, have difficulty obtaining services that are provided to citizens, landed or permanent status immigrants, and visitors due to their precarious migration status.

Question 48

Allowing a path to permanent citizenship is critical since migrant agricultural workers' legally precarious status can exacerbate their negative work and life experiences in Canada.

Question 49

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) has called on the federal government to maintain and continue the existing legislation that leads to worker vulnerability and job insecurity, according to a new report.

Question 50

Given the nature of migrant agricultural work, the number of reported legal cases concerning these issues is relatively high, showing no fear of job loss and employer reprisal from the workers.

Question 51

What is the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)? What information does it include?

Question 52

What are the conditions and circumstances under which an employer is approved by the SAWP? What is the goal of these conditions?

Question 53

How are Migrant Agricultural (MA) workers at a disadvantage compared to other migrant workers in Canada?

Question 54

What health aspects are monitored and screened for under the SAWP? What challenges and discrimination do women experience in this screening?

Question 55

What are the challenges faced by migrant workers given their dependence on only one employer? In what way can SAWP workers file for grievance?

Question 56

What is the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program? What were its basic policy features? What did these features mean to foreign workers in Canada?

Question 57

What is the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP)? How did it originate? And how does it currently work?

Question 58

What are some key reasons for the SAWP to be viewed as "best practice" for managing international migration? What are the characteristics of remittances?

Question 59

When does repatriation happen for workers in the SAWP? How are workers with medical issues affected by this process? How can work conditions reflect cases of repatriation?

Question 60

What was the experience like for temporary migrant workers during the pandemic? What are the opinions of migrant coalitions, academics, and legal scholars? What are their recommendations?

Question 61

How do you think the history of the SAWP program has led to injustices against migrant workers? What are some changes you would suggest for these to be corrected?

Question 62

What have you learned about the conditions of migrant workers that you did not know before? What role do you think migrant coalitions, academics, and legal scholars have in the lives of migrant workers?

Question 63

Can you think of ways in which the presence of migrant workers under SAWP affect your life? How are the activities they do of benefit to you and to Canada in a larger context?