Nearly 400 temporary migrant farm workers have joined the United Food and Commercial Workers 1518 in B.C., marking the largest group of farmworkers to join a union in Canadian history.
The migrant workers are employed across Highline Mushrooms’ four farms at several B.C. locations, which agreed to unionize in June.
The B.C. labour board certified the latest group last month, with 210 workers at a Langley mushroom farm joining the recently-unionized members at the Abbotsford locations.
The latest addition brings the total number of new union members to 390 agricultural workers.
The latest Langley union members are migrant agricultural workers in Canada on temporary work permits, the majority of which arrived from Guatemala, Mexico, India and Vietnam.
“This is more evidence that there is a strong desire for migrant food workers to engage their fundamental labour rights and unionize,” said UFCW Canada national president Shawn Haggerty in a statement.
“UFCW Canada is the union for agricultural workers in Canada, and we look forward to working with Highline Mushrooms and other social partners in the sector to advance decent work in the agri-food sector. This also strengthens the Canadian food sector by contributing to a more stable and secure labour market.”
The union also includes local workers who work in other sectors like delivery and packaging.
The B.C. government amended the Labour Code in 2022 to make it easier for workers to unionize. Prior to the amendments, unions were required to sign at least 45% of workers on a job site and then hold a certification vote.
Under the new rules, as long as least 55% of employees on a job site sign membership cards, they automatically join the union.
A vote is only required if the number of signatures is between 45% and 55%.
The migrant workers joined the union to have a stronger voice when advocating for better working conditions.
According to the union, Highline Mushrooms’ workers are predominantly concerned with “improving health and safety, ensuring a safe and fair work environment, being treated with dignity and respect, and the ability to bargain collectively.”
“The biggest motivation to join UFCW is job security to have a personal peace of mind. If anything goes wrong, or if the employer treats you unfairly, the union has your back,” said Kulwinder Kaur, a Highline Mushrooms worker in Langley, in a UFCW release.
“I expect all workers at work to be treated respectfully and fairly, and as union members, we should all be treated equally.”
UFCW 1518 president Patrick Johnson called the decision a “huge first step” not only for those who joined but for “all workers in the industry.”
“These workers are essential workers who are helping to drive the Canadian food economy,” said Johnson.
Canada’s agricultural sector employed around 70,000 migrant workers last year, according to Statistics Canada.
The company offered “huge congrats to these workers for stepping up to make that choice to stand together,” according to comments made by vice-president Rob McKay to CBC News.
Highline Mushrooms is based in Leamington, Ont. and is the “world’s largest organic mushroom grower.”
The company is a subsidiary of the Japanese-owned conglomerate Sumitomo.