Description:
In April 2006, 42 Latin Americans landed in Vancouver to excavate tunnels for the Canada Line Skytrain. They thought they'd won the lottery with promised wages far above what they would earn at home. But the reality was miserable wages, unpaid overtime and inadequate living conditions. It was the beginning of the Canadian construction industry's reliance on migrant workers and the treatment of temporary foreign workers has made headlines ever since. Author, Joe Barrett, fluent in Spanish and a researcher for BC Building Trades unions, first spoke to three of the Costa Rican workers through a chain link around the worksite. They confirmed the low wages. He shares his unique insider perspective as he joined the team of union organizers and became a liaison between workers, union officials and lawyers throughout the court battles. The workers' resentment grew in the face of employer lies, intimidation, coercion and prejudice. Most of them came from a group of villages in central Costa Rica. They grew up together, sharing a background of poverty and hardship. These common bonds gave them the courage they needed to face fears of employer retaliation as they organized, which resulted in a successful vote for union certification, a first for temporary foreign workers in the Canadian construction industry. But their victory was short-lived and their unity was broken by a series of employer "sticks and sweeteners." The fight for fairness continued at the BC Labour Relations Board (BCLRB) and, ultimately, at the BC Human Rights Tribunal in a race against time before the workers left Canada with the completion of the tunnels. In 2008, the tribunal delivered a triumphant decision, a landmark case in the evolving issue of global migration. Workers were awarded $2.4 million to compensate for discrimination based on country of origin; for wages, inferior accommodations, meals and expenses and injury to dignity and feelings. A Fight for Justice is an inspiring story of collective action and relationships across progressive communities in Canada and Latin America and offers a remarkable story of migrant workers successfully fighting for fairness and equality.
Review Quotes:
"Essential reading for union organizers, human-rights advocates, and allies of migrant workers, offering both inspiration and lessons for advancing all workers' rights." --Karl Flecker, former National Director of Human Rights/Anti-Racism, Canadian Labour Congress
"A richly detailed, passionately written account of one of the most important organizing campaigns of the past 30 years." --Leo McGrady, KC, Lawyer, Koskie Glavin Gordon, law teacher and author of The Law of Organizing in BC and The Law of Protests
"I could not put this book down as Barrett takes the reader on a multi-year journey for justice." --Jim Sinclair, longest-serving president of the B.C. Federation of Labour (1999-2014)
"Required reading for anyone who doubts the power of solidarity." --Geoff Meggs, author and labour historian
"A unique and inspiring tale of courage and solidarity in the face of appalling exploitation and corporate greed." --Don Davies, MP, Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada
"A Fight for Justice will be a labour classic in Canada for its insights about Temporary Foreign Workers programs, the critical work of their allies, and what it takes to succeed when the odds are low." --Marjorie Griffin Cohen, economist and first chair of the BC Fair Wages Commission
"A 'must-read' for migrant worker advocates, union organizers and labour lawyers." --David Fairey, co-chair, BC Employment Standards Coalition and Migrant Workers Centre Director
"An important book that lays bare the exploitation of Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada." --Glen Clark, former BC premier