Mushroom workers to tell their story Wednesday, December 10, 2008 © Copyright AgMedia Incby SUSAN MANNSeven of the more than 70 workers fired from a mushroom farm near Milton will tell their stories at a press conference in Toronto on Thursday.Their employer, Rol-Land Farms Ltd., isn’t saying why the workers were fired without notice. A call to the Rol-Land facility near Milton was referred to the company head office in Blenheim.“I’ve been told just to say that there’s no comment,” said a woman who answered the phone at Rol-Land’s head office. She wouldn’t give her name.Rol-Land Farms employed the workers through the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The program enables employers in different industries, including agriculture, to bring low-skilled workers into Canada for up to two years.Stan Raper, spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Canada, says legal clinic representatives and some of the workers told the union about the firings.Why were they let go? “We’re still trying to figure that out,” Raper says. “The workers don’t know and the company’s not saying.”Some of the workers were called Thursday night (Dec. 4) and the rest heard Friday (Dec. 5) that they were being flown back to their countries on Saturday (Dec. 6). The workers were also evicted from their company-supplied apartments. The group that was fired was made up of mostly Jamaican women and Mexican men.Raper says he’s not sure how many workers stayed. The seven people speaking at the press conference Thursday are being helped by community organizations in Toronto.“It’s pretty sad that this kind of thing would happen just before Christmas,” he says. “These are honest, hard-working people who are trying to provide for their families.”UFCW Canada is exploring a number of legal avenues, including if there’s a breach under the Employment Standards Act for lack of notice or if there’s something under the Landlord and Tenant Act about giving adequate notice before eviction.The workers told Raper they had two-year contracts. Most of those fired were at their jobs for four to eight months.UFCW Canada had contacted a number of farm workers in Ontario to inform them of their rights and about health and safety matters. Workers at Rol-Land’s mushroom farm were contacted about a month ago. But UFCW Canada hasn’t been doing any union organizing drives, he says.UFCW Canada claims the Temporary Foreign Worker program is flawed because the work permit is tied to one employer and there isn’t any government monitoring or enforcement.That’s just asking for trouble, Raper says, because there are bad employers who will abuse the program. BF Commodity groups begin merger Industry applauds new farm sign law
Updates to Case IH RB566 Round Baler Wednesday, October 29, 2025 The Case IH RB566 round baler has been redesigned with a strong focus on serviceability, dependability, and efficiency, offering farmers a more advanced and reliable baling experience. According to Brian Williams, livestock product specialist with Case IH, the latest improvements... Read this article online
22 young leaders graduate from Rural Ontario Institute’s Change Makers Program Tuesday, October 28, 2025 The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) has marked a milestone in rural leadership development with the graduation of 22 participants from its Rural Change Makers (RCM) program. The private ceremony, held this October, celebrated a year of learning, collaboration, and community impact. “We are... Read this article online
Demco-Welker Farms Collab Delivers Big Buddy Tuesday, October 28, 2025 Demco recently introduced the Big Buddy grain cart, a product of collaboration with Big Equipment, the makers of Big Bud tractors, Titan Tires, and the well-known Montana-based Welker Farms. The project began when the Welker family decided to rebuild and modify their iconic Big Bud... Read this article online
New MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header Monday, October 27, 2025 Case IH continues to expand its innovative harvest equipment lineup with the launch of the MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header, a new series designed to provide farmers with smoother, cleaner, and more efficient harvesting. Available in multiple widths — 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and even 61... Read this article online
Lots of news from the Ontario Pork Congress Monday, October 27, 2025 The Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) took place on October 20, 2025, at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford, Ontario, with over 50 attendees. At the event, Arnold Drung, President of Conestoga Meats, was honoured with the . Drung has been a dedicated supporter of the OPC for over 23 years. This award... Read this article online