Impacts of Canada’s Seasonal
Agricultural Workers Program
On
Spouses and Children of
Migrant Farm Workers
From Mexico
April 16, 2012
Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural
Worker Program (SAWP)
The SAWP is comprised of two programs:
• The first is the Commonwealth Caribbean Seasonal
Agricultural Workers Program (CC/SAWP), which
began in 1966, between Canada and Jamaica.
• By 1967, it was expanded to include Barbados,
Trinidad & Tobago
• In 1976 it included the Eastern Caribbean States of
Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat,
St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines.
Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural
Worker Program (SAWP)
The second program is the Mexican
Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program
(M/SAWP), which was began in 1974
Purpose of the SAWP
• “Provide a supplementary source of reliable and
qualified seasonal labour in order to improve
Canada’s prosperity by ensuring that crops are
planted and harvested in a timely fashion”
(Service Canada 2008)
• The SAWP is employer led, i.e., employers
determine, gender and country of origin of
workers, duration of contract, who gets call back,
who gets sent home.
Figure 1: SAWP Participants by Country of Origin
Measurable Economic Benefits
• For Canadian agricultural operations, rural
communities where workers live, pay taxes and
spend money
• Workers and their countries of origin
• Workers earn minimum or prevailing wage, and
pay income tax, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
and Employment Insurance (EI)
• Workers also contribute to their cost of
transportation, housing, health insurance, and
program administration fees.
Management of the SAWP
• It is a federal government-authorized program
• Day-to-day operations are conducted through
privately run user-fee agencies
• In Ontario this is the Foreign Agricultural
Resource Management Services (FARMS), an
organization that is run by and for employers
• Consular or liaison officials are appointed by the
governments of sending countries to help
oversee the program and mediate any issues
between workers and employers which may arise
in Canada.
Provinces that Participate in the SAWP
• Predominantly Ontario since inception
• Ontario accounts for over 85% of all migrant
farm workers
• Increasingly, more provinces are participating
in the SAWP
Table 1 Seasonal Agricultural Workers
By Province
Farming Activities in Ontario
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vegetables
Fruits
Flowers
Tobacco
Food Processing
Sod
Bees
Ginseng.
Primary Regions of Employment for Migrant
Farm Workers in Ontario
• Norfolk (including Simcoe, Waterford and
Delhi)
• Essex (including Leamington)
• Niagara and Oxford (including Tillsonburg)
• Regions surrounding Owen Sound, Chatham,
and Newmarket/Bradford
Methodology
• In depth interviews conducted in Mexico with:
–
–
–
–
Migrant Farm Workers
Wives of Migrant Farm Workers
Adult Children of Migrant Farm Workers
Teachers/School Officials Familiar with Children of
Migrant Farm Workers
• All the Migrant Farm Workers have worked in
Ontario under the SAWP for at least 5 years
• All the Migrant Farm Workers have children in
Mexico while working in Ontario.
Methodology
• Minimum of 5 years was judged to be
sufficient time for impacts on families to have
developed.
• It is also reflective of the fact that most
workers who come to Canada under the SAWP
do so for many years, sometimes up to twenty
plus years.
Interviews
• The interviews took place in the state of
Guanajuato, central Mexico
• In locales where large numbers of Migrant
farm Workers live with their families
• Use of semi-structured interview questions
Advantages of Conducting the Interviews in
Mexico
• In Mexico workers have more time to give
interviews and to provide more detailed answers
• Allow for the interview of workers as well as their
wives or partners and adult children
• Allow for the interview of teachers and other
school officials who are familiar with the children
the Farm Workers
• Allow the interviewer to get a sense of the home
and community situations of the workers and
families being interviewed.
Migrant Workers As Good Providers
• Material impacts of the SAWP is essentially
the primary reason why Mexican men leave
their families to work in Canada
• The material impacts are very substantial for
the migrant workers, their immediate and
sometimes extended families
Material Benefits
4 main types of material benefits for the family
• Better Nutrition
• Better Housing
• Better Education for Children
• Better Health Care
Impacts of Wives
• Ambivalence about husbands leaving the
family to work in Canada
– Appreciation for the significant material benefits
for the family
– Sacrifices that wives have to make in order to
support their husbands’ working in Canada
Ambivalent Appreciation of the SAWP
• What I don’t like about him going is that I am
without him, that he leaves me, that he leaves
us, that he leaves his family in order to go, to
go and bring us money, but at the same time
we are also happy because he goes because
we make a bit of progress. Because here,
where would be get money to support us?”
(Int. #12:1)
Appreciation of the SAWP
“I liked that I had some money and I was not
short of money for anything, because I knew
he was going to send me money, that’s what I
liked. I could pay debts, I had money for my
children, for food, to pay things, to buy things,
I knew there was money available, and I liked
that.” (Int. # 21:1).
Sincere Appreciation of the SAWP
“I wouldn’t like them to get rid of the program.
Many people here have benefits because of
that.” (Int. #21:8)
Sacrifices Made by Wives of Migrant Farm
Workers Under the SAWP
• Emotional Loss
“That we’re apart as a family..”(Int. #40:1) or
“Because we are alone, we face diseases, we
face problems all alone as women, and it’s a
lot of time alone.” (Int. #41:1).
Sacrifices Made by Wives of Migrant Farm
Workers Under the SAWP
• Loss of Help and Support
“My first miscarriage was when my husband when to Canada.
I was pregnant when he left. I miscarried because I was lifting
heavy things. You see, we didn’t have water pipes in the
house, so i had to go to a neighbour’s house to bring water in
buckets to bathe my children. I was carrying buckets and
suddenly I was in pain, pain, pain. I went to see the doctor; he
performed curettage. I left my children here; I only told this to
my older daughter, the one who got married. My husband
said, why did you carry the buckets? You had had to be
careful. If I didn’t do it, then who would?” (Int. #32:2).
Sacrifices Made by Wives of Migrant Farm
Workers Under the SAWP
• Ambivalence About Happiness and Money
“Sometimes you feel money doesn’t mean
happiness; we need money for everything, but
money is not everything. Happiness is not
money; you’d prefer to have him here when
you’re about to deliver your baby.” (Int.
#39:2).
Sacrifices Made by Wives of Migrant Farm
Workers Under the SAWP
• Anger and Resentment
“I couldn’t rely on anyone, only him, but he
went to Canada. Don’t go, you can work here,
there’s work here, I said. No, I can’t earn
enough here he said. He loved to go to
Canada, perhaps because he’s greedy.” (Int.
#32:3).
Sacrifices Made by Wives of Migrant Farm
Workers Under the SAWP
• Feelings of Mistrust and Jealousy
“He says they’re very far from the town and
that there’s only one car. He has to go there by
bike, and it takes one hour. We’ve had several
arguments because of that; he calls and we’re
not here, but I have things to do too....He says
why were you not at home? I spend one hour
to get to the town on a bicycle and you’re not
home?..That’s the reason for our arguments,
nothing else.” (Int #40:4).
Sacrifices Made by Wives of Migrant Farm
Workers Under the SAWP
• Feelings of Mistrust and Jealousy Cont’d
“He (husband) says sometimes I feel you’re fed
up with me. Because (wife) you’re never
here...I told him if he leaves, I’m going back to
my parents’ house, and when I am there,
perhaps my son can take me with him. I
seriously told my husband if you leave, I leave
too.” (Int #32:9)
Remittances
• Very important to Migrant Workers’ families
• The wives are the main recipients
• The frequency of the remittances tends to
coincide with the pay period of the Migrant farm
Workers
• Typically remittances are sent every pay period,
which is 15 days
• Most receive remittances once per month (i.e.,
every two pay periods)
IMPACTS ON CHILDREN
• DUAL NATURE OF WORKERS’ SACRIFICE
• CANADIAN PAYCHEQUES MEAN BIG GAINS
AND BIG LOSSES FOR MEXICAN FAMILIES
– “MY MOTIVATION IS MY KIDS (..) SO MUCH
MISERY, SUCH POVERTY (..) HOW IS IT POSSIBLE
THAT I HAVE MY KIDS AND I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM
GROW UP?”
• SACRIFICES FOR THE FAMILY = SACRIFICES BY
THE FAMILY
CHILDREN’S RESPONSES TO THEIR
ABSENT FATHERS
• FATHERS BECOME STRANGERS
• CHILDREN REJECT THEIR FATHERS
– “HOW CAN SHE LOVE A STRANGER?”
• CHILDREN BECOME SICK AND/OR DEPRESSED
• CHILDREN’S INSECURITY WHEN FATHER NOT
THERE TO PROTECT THEM
• CHILDREN’S SADNESS & ANGER WHEN FATHERS
MISS IMPORTANT EVENTS (GRADUATIONS,
BIRTHDAYS, FIRST COMMUNIONS)
CHILDREN’S RESPONSES TO FATHERS
ALSO DIRECTED AGAINST MOTHERS
• REBELLION AGAINST MOTHERS
• CHILDREN LACK PATERNAL CONTROL
• DECLINES IN SCHOOL MOTIVATION &
PERFORMANCE
• “THEY OVERPOWER THE MOTHER’S
AUTHORITY”
• CHILDREN’S VIOLENCE, EARLY PREGNANCY,
DRUG ADDICTION
IMPACTS OF ABSENT FATHERS ON
FAMILY CULTURE & COHESION
• WHEN FATHER ISN’T THERE TO TEACH
CHILDREN “TO RESPECT PEOPLE, TO BE KIND”
• FAMILIES THAT BREAK UP
LINKING FAMILY RESEARCH TO
LABOUR POLICY CHANGES
• HOW CAN WE USE THIS RESEARCH TO ENGAGE HEARTS &
MINDS?
• RECOGNIZING UNDERLYING POWER IMBALANCES
BETWEEN SAWP EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS
• NEED FOR CREATIVE POLICY IMPROVEMENTS THAT MEET
WORKERS’ & FAMILIES’ HUMAN NEEDS
– BETTER TELEPHONE & INTERNET COMMUNICATION WITH
FAMILIES IN MEXICO
– FAMILIES VISIT FATHERS/HUSBANDS IN CANADA
– FATHERS/HUSBANDS VISIT FAMILIES
– WORKERS CHOOSE LENGTHS OF CONTRACTS
– AVERAGING OUT PAY TO PROVIDE MORE STABLE REMITTANCES
TO FAMILIES