Mexico City | Reuters — Tensions over sharp differences in pay between Mexican workers and their Canadian and U.S. counterparts surfaced on Sunday as negotiators discussed labour market rules in talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canada’s biggest private-sector union said NAFTA should be scrapped if Mexico cannot agree to better labour […] Read more
Sharp differences over labour surface at NAFTA trade talks
Trump reassures farmers immigration crackdown not aimed at their workers
Washington/San Francisco | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said he would seek to keep his tough immigration enforcement policies from harming the U.S. farm industry and its largely immigrant workforce, according to farmers and officials who met with him. At a roundtable on farm labour at the White House last month, Trump said he […] Read more
Pacific trade pact countries seek ‘progressive’ way forward
Vina Del Mar, Chile | Reuters — The remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are seeking a way forward on the trade pact, they said on Wednesday, as some emphasized the need for deals to address concerns about workers’ rights and other issues. The TPP, which originally covered some 40 per cent of global […] Read more
Producers wanted for labour focus group
Meting to take place on Nov. 12 in Red Deer, Alta.
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers are being sought for a focus group on labour and skill shortages in agriculture. The focus group will meet on Nov. 12 at the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer and is being hosted by Alberta Canola Producers and the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council. The council is working with farmers across Canada to develop […] Read more
Mark Chambers new co-chair of labour task force
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s Mark Chambers has been elected the new co-chair of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Task Force. The task force is developing an action plan to tackle industry labour shortages, an initiative of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council with support from more than 60 partner organizations. “The agriculture industry needs more workers,” said Chambers, […] Read more
Western states to get US$110M in drought aid
Washington | Reuters — The White House said Friday it would spend an additional US$110 million to help farmers and communities in western states hit hard by drought and wildfires. The drought has affected a third of the western United States, and President Barack Obama was slated to discuss it with western governors in a […] Read more
Worker shortage handicapping ag sector
Plants have jobs but not enough Canadians interested in them
Reading Time: 5 minutes A chronic shortage of workers isn’t just a problem for meat packers, but all of agriculture, say experts. Mark Chambers sees the impact every day at Sunterra Farms, but also knows his experience is being mirrored across the country. “If we can’t get enough labour to produce the value-added products or to expand and grow, […] Read more
‘Cover your butt’ when it comes to temporary foreign worker program
Farm businesses are seeing frequent rule changes, inconsistent decision-making, and red tape following changes to the temporary foreign worker program
Reading Time: 3 minutes Changes to the temporary foreign worker program has made hiring foreign labour more difficult and costly — especially for lower-skill, lower-wage positions most often seen in agriculture. And while primary agriculture gets some exemptions under the new rules implemented in June, the big challenge is red tape, says an immigration consultant who works with farms […] Read more
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