On December 21, 2024, and for the sixth year in a row, OPSEU/SEFPO’s Coalition of Racialized Workers (CoRW) Region 1 Reps organized hot meals for migrant workers over the 2024 holiday season. OPSEU/SEFPO’s CoRW and Region One partnered with both the Windsor Caribbean Centre and Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) to make this initiative possible. This collaboration has been an ongoing partnership between these organizations since 2018.
“Canada continues to rely on migrant workers to work in fields, orchards, farms, and greenhouses across the country. Each year, nearly 60,000 workers come to help toil the land and more than one third of those workers are right here in Ontario, thousands of miles away from their homes and loved ones” said Chris Ramsaroop, Organizer with Justice for Migrant Workers.
A total of two hundred and forty-eight meals (248) meals was served to eight (8) different farms in Essex and Leamington locations. Notably the Windsor and Essex County areas have one of the highest populations of migrant workers in the province.
“Over the last six years, we continue to see the most vulnerable in our communities get further marginalized and affected by economic and financial conditions” said Elizabeth Ha, CoRW Region 1 Rep and Vice-Chair.
The significance of this event is particularly important since during the holiday season, migrant workers are often away from their families and friends. The nature of this initiative is to create a feeling of belonging, inclusion, and solidarity. This initiative has blossomed into an annual event that provides culturally appropriate food to migrant workers in the community.
“We want to support the workers who are here to feed our community, build our economy, and who are essential workers. They are here working during the holiday, away from their families” said Peter Thompson, Region 1 CoRW member.