Food Studies Matter, Meaning, Movement Case Migrant Farm Workers, Courtney Jane Clause

CASE MIGRANT FARM WORKERS COURTNEY JANE CLAUSE ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE SECTOR CAN BETTER COMMUNICATION HELP PROTECT MIGRANT WORKERS ?

Courtney lane Clause completed her BA in Criminology ea at the University of , and her MA in Media Studies at University . This case study is based on her thesis research focusing on access to for workers enrolled in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program , which she completed at University . COURTNEY JANE CLAUSE 537

Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Identify and explain the key information needs of migrant workers . Describe the implications of information quality on worker . Consider how these concepts relate to broader labour and food studies areas , such as , disposable , and approaches to food systems . INTRODUCTION The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program ( is a labour program negotiated between Canada and twelve participating countries intended to combat labour shortages in the sector . Workers reside in Canada for up to eight months while cultivating , planting , harvesting , sorting , and packing produce . Studies on show that , overall , the program requires overhaul . Workers often suffer through inadequate housing conditions , increased health concerns , unsafe working , social isolation , and arbitrary dismissal and deportation , among other challenges . Most research around focuses on ways to resolve these issues , rather than abolition of the program , as it represents a vital source of income for many workers . When studying , scholars , activists , and community have often called attention to what may be termed the information , unclear , or sometimes entirely absent communication around key issues . These include tion options , legal rights , program processes , job training , 538 ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE SECTOR

awareness , social integration , health resources , and navigating Canadian systems and services . The information barrier also includes unequal access to the internet , language and literacy constraints , and related concerns beyond information resources . Studies increasingly recognize that workers require information beyond program processes , as they not only work in Canada , but also live in Canada . Healthcare workers , for example , express that there are difficulties in making workers aware of services , which can have an impact on whether they even seek access to healthcare services at all . Increased risk of sexual illnesses among workers , as another example , has been tied to information and communication failures among these specific This disparate access to information exists alongside increased vulnerabilities across many areas of life and ing conditions , frequency of arbitrary dismissal , increased health concerns , and so on . Successful information sharing around these areas is therefore especially important . For example , groups report that many workers are not sufficiently aware of their legal rights in the workplace , and thus can not fully cise these In these examples , quality of information has important consequences for worker awareness , and when it comes to their safety during gram participation and life in Canada . Lack of information can affect the avenues that workers have to exercise their rights , seek advocacy and services , and demand better working and living environments for themselves . In this way , access to information is considered by several advocacy groups to be a right in and of itself , as it is a tool for actively creating the type of safe , beneficial program we hope to see . Rapid Response Service 2013 . Government of Canada 2019 . COURTNEY JANE CLAUSE 539

Figure , California , USA June 19 , 2015 Seasonal farm workers pick and package strawberries . photo 1282 ) THE COVID PANDEMIC The COVID pandemic is one of many instances in which we have seen how crucial communication can be for Workers . As information changed rapidly , clear on how to navigate pandemic risks were difficult to obtain for many people . This was especially true for migrant workers . As workers tried to gain access to information and follow guidelines surrounding the pandemic , we have come to see how COVID has highlighted the existing information struggles within the program . We can thus ask How has the COVID pandemic intersected with the information barrier ?

What information do need to make safe decisions about their lives and labour during a health crisis ?

How does this relate to the types of ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE SECTOR that need to make safe decisions about their life and labour in general ?

and the Continued Lack of Information Nobody told us what 19 really is we deserve to be treated ter expect us to come back In a report by two workers rights groups ?

voiced their experiences with gaining access to around the disease . In their words Nobody told us what really is we deserve to be treated better our expect us to come back Similar stories appear in news outlets , as workers reveal that , in some cases , neither the government nor their employer provided information on workers rights during the In the case of speaking workers , many additionally struggled to find tion and COVID testing options in their language . Literature has demonstrated that , for decades , workers have been particularly vulnerable to abuse and , as a result , require robust information support on knowing and exercising their legal , health , safety , and mobility Workers have included increased access to information among their concerns in several program During the pandemic , these needs were compounded by social distancing and requirements , new protective equipment protocols , and increased sanitation recommendations . Reports suggest that . United Food and Commercial Workers , and Agricultural Workers Alliance 2020 . United Food and Commercial Workers , and Agricultural Workers Alliance 2020 , 22 . 2020 , para . et . al . 2009 et . al . 2014 Cohen 2019 . Government of Canada 2019 . COURTNEY JANE CLAUSE 541

information on these areas has not reached workers in timely or . comprehensive ways . Seeing Information as a Safety and Tool Most workers do not have access to the information about health risks or living and working conditions needed to weigh the risks of coming to Canada during a health crisis . Without safe , transparent , and complete information , workers are making constrained decisions within . Within pandemic , informed participation in the program is not possible if workers do not have clear standing of the state of COVID in Canada , safeguards in place for , and current good practices for the public . Instead , workers are returning without adequate education on how COVID has affected health , housing , and Work conditions within the country , and within the program more specifically . Research finds that most workers do not have access to the detailed information about health risks or living and working conditions needed to weigh the risks of coming to Canada during a health regarding these risks is as , for populations , safety risks are heightened . Reports find that workers face greater risk of exposure and greater risk of infection ) Though statistics are likely conservative due to issues , some local groups suggest that , as of August 2020 , between and . Migrant Worker Health Expert Working Group . Migrant Worker Health Expert Working Group 2020 , 12 . Cole 2020 . Cole 2020 , 2020 , para . 542 ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE SECTOR

13 . 14 . 15 . 16 . 17 . 18 . 19 . workers had contracted the virus in , with three reported Both the positive cases and the number of deaths escalated in 2021 . For example , one report shows five deaths since A second report records a death in April and one in A third announcement in May adds another These represent only a portion of related deaths . Vague communication regarding COVID has left many workers tolerating unsafe conditions to avoid being sent home . As advocacy groups attest , in the absence of clear lines , many workers wonder What to do to ensure that their health is taken care of , but it this idea that if they speak up , they wont be able to return to 18 Workers are required to Weigh employment needs against health needs and , as in the above case , often feel they must continue working without health and safety Many advocacy groups have identified clear communication and comprehensive information as important protections for workers . Within pandemic , this might look like ing available and consistent information to evaluate health , safety , livelihood , and mobility implications of participating in the program during the pandemic . Here , good information and communication practices are understood to contribute to free and informed for workers . Beyond , have been increased translation 2020 , para . 2020 , para . Grant Bailey 2021 . Rodriguez 2021 . 2021 . Rodriguez 2020 , para . Paz Ramirez 2013 Cohen 2019 . COURTNEY JANE CLAUSE 543

vices , literacy and language classes , health and safety information , and education around legal rights , to name a few . 20 These are intended to equip workers with the necessary resources and skills to participate more safely in the program and in local Canadian communities . Each of these recommended areas recognize communication and information as tools towards empowerment , and protection within . What Has COVID Taught us About the Future of within ?

Access to adaptive , prompt , and comprehensive information is a necessity , but it has proven challenging to provide it within a program lacking strong , information exchange . Details on health , safety , living conditions , and new workplace protocols have been , according to the examples above , sparse , unclear , and infrequently updated . This is not a new phenomenon within . Information ing around important topics like health , safety , communication needs , socializing , and community services have been lacking within the program for some time . Studies show that workers experience increased health risks , unsafe work conditions , lack of meaningful inclusion in program input or review , isolation and depression , and barriers to accessing community services and We can speculate that poor education and ness around these areas contribute at least partially to these experienced by workers . Disposable Workers Community Members How Might Access to 20 . et . al . 2009 2010 Paz Ramirez 2013 et . al . 2014 2018 Cohen 2019 . 21 . for Migrant Workers et . al . 2017 201 . 544 ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE SECTOR

Information Play a Role ?

Studies on often connect the program to , which relies increasingly on market values to guide thought , action , and policy . These values are favoured over community approaches to and , as a result , promote individual responsibility and reduce the availability of collective social . Studies argue that creates disposable , which are valued for their ability to maximize . Workers within disposable are often not valued beyond these labour contributions . Turning workers into disposable means that We import workers , not ple , and their overall often When this is applied to information sharing , it becomes clear that the concept of workers , not people would affect the type and quality of information available . When we believe that participants are only here to work , it is easy to see how , for example , literacy , social belonging , and personal health tion are not made into significant parts of discussions , and education efforts . However , advocates have called for the valuing and care of workers as community members , rather than using them solely for the labour they provide . This includes ensuring they have access to information that will help them work and live well . For example , information on upcoming social events and community organizations may reduce feelings of depression , isolation , and lack of belonging . Transparent information on program risks may help worker have a sense of choice and freedom , so that they feel less coerced in entering the program . Information on health services and legal rights may help them better safeguard their during their time in Canada . 22 . 2010 , 432 . COURTNEY JANE CLAUSE 545

For many years , community groups , such as for Migrant Workers and Niagara Migrant Workers Interest Group , have been implementing these ideas in their local areas . In their daily work with migrants , they provide honest and caring information about program risks , social events , mental health supports , legal rights , communication needs , and even weekly grocery discounts or bus schedules . This approach to tion treats worker as a shared , community , and sees workers as people , not just units of labour . CONCLUSION Though has brought these issues to light , they are neither new nor likely to disappear soon workers may very well continue to lack information under existing program structures which see them as disposable labour sources . The COVID pandemic provides a pertinent context for ing communication techniques within parts of our food systems , in this instance , as they relate to the migrant workers who tain these systems . Though COVID has brought these issues to light , they are neither new nor likely to disappear soon . Workers may very well continue to lack information on their many , varied needs under existing program structures which often see them as disposable labour sources . When we understand migrant workers to be vital members of our food systems and community networks , we can expand the type and quality of information we provide them , towards truly supporting full personal and work lives . Community efforts that affirm their full existences , see them as vital community , and attend to their information needs as such , are to ongoing efforts to reform into a safe , healthy , and beneficial option for workers . 546 ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE SECTOR

Importantly , information is one aspect of a plex and layered issue . Without , for example , balanced work schedules , safe transportation , and effective translation services , information regarding healthcare does not necessarily enable access to healthcare . Attention to should therefore always be considered alongside other reform efforts that seek to address the varied issues noted above . Discussion Questions What do agricultural workers contribute to our food systems ?

How is the of workers related to other parts of our food systems ?

What are the key information needs of workers ?

What are some examples from the chapter in which access to information affected worker being ?

What is another example in which having the right information would help migrant workers ?

In addition to information , what other resources do migrant workers need in order to access rights and services ?

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