Dec 12

Des travailleurs agricoles migrants continuent leur lutte pour la justiceMigrant Farm Workers Continue Their Struggle for Justice

Avis aux médias

Guatemala, pour lequel il a été obligé de payer lui-même. En outre, Arteaga Santos demande également que Savoura soit sur la liste noire pour les abus et exploitation auxquels elle soumet ses travailleurs.
Il sera accompagné à l’arbitrage par Isaias Garcia Castillo, dont le contrat a pris fin en 2008, après ses recherches de soins de santé. «Depuis plus d’un mois, j’ai été privé de soins médicaux et j’ai été forcé à travailler, malgré ma maladie. Après avoir contacté des amis pour me conduire à l’hôpital, mon contrat a été résilié à mon retour”, a déclaré Garcia Castillo. «Il ya eu de nombreuses répercussions pour ma famille au Guatemala. Mes frères ont été mis dans une liste noire et ont été incapables de travailler au Québec depuis”, at-il encore exposé.

À bien des égards, leurs cas sont représentatifs des nombreux problèmes structurels dans le programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires, qui créent un contexte dans lequel l’exploitation a souvent lieu en milieu de travail. «Les cas Noé et Isaias” sont indispensables afin de gagner des droits pour tous les travailleurs migrants faiblement rémunérés”, a déclaré Mostafa Henaway de l’Association des Agences des travailleurs temporaires. «Les entreprises comme Savoura sentent qu’ils jouissent d’une impunité totale dans leur traitement des travailleurs migrants, même si les travailleurs n’exigent que leurs droit reliées au normes du travail soient respectés”, at-il ajouté.

Arteaga Santos soulignera également l’hypocrisie du système d’immigration canadien. «Le gouvernement canadien fait de plus en plus de détentions et expulsions de familles, tout en affirmant qu’il existe encore une pénurie sur le marché du travail. Ce genre de double discours doit être dénoncé”, at-il affirmé.

Une conférence de presse aura lieu à midi dans la salle Pivoine de l’hôtel Holiday Inn, situé au 99, avenue Viger Ouest. A ce moment là, Arteaga Santos va distribuer une lettre obtenue auprès du consulat du Guatemala, contestant certains des arguments centraux mis de l’avant par Savoura pour justifier ses actions.

Contexte:

Déclaration de Arteaga faite le 1er décembre, 2009:www.cmaq.net/fr/node/37655

Rassemblement de solidarité organisé le 11 mai 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgusAwAOS18

Articles: //www.journaldemontreal.com/2012/12/03/dedommagement-reclame-a-savoura

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Relations avec les médias:

Isaias Garcia Castillo: 438-938-6270

Noe Arteaga Santos: noearteagas@gmail.com

Press Conference 
Thursday, December 13 at 12:00pm
Holiday Inn, Salle Pivoine
99 Viger Ouest (metro Place d’Armes)
 
Montreal, December 12 2012- Noe Arteaga Santos and Isaias Castillo Garcia will be pursuing the next chapter in their struggle for justice against Les Serres du St Laurent Inc, a company that produces Savoura tomatoes. Both workers will be attending the latest arbitration hearing in their case at the Commission des Relations du Travail. 
 
In 2008, Arteaga Santos was summarily dismissed and deported to Guatemala after organizing a work-stoppage to obtain medical treatment for a co-worker. He is demanding a public apology, along with reinstatement into his previous job, payment for his overtime hours, and compensation for his plane ticket back to Guatemala, for which he was forced to pay out of his own pocket. In addition, Arteaga Santos is also requesting that Savoura be blacklisted for the abuses and exploitation to which it subjects its workers.
 
He will be joined in arbitration by Isaias Castillo Garcia, whose contract was terminated in 2008 after seeking health care services. “For over a month, I was denied medical treatment and was forced to work, despite my illness. After contacting friends to drive me to the hospital, my contract was terminated upon my return”, Castillo Garcia stated. ” There have been many repercussions for my family in Guatemala. My brothers have been blacklisted and have been unable to work in Quebec since then”, he further elaborated.
 
In many respects, their cases are emblematic of the many structural problems in the temporary foreign worker program, which create a context in which workplace exploitation often takes place. “Noe’s and Isaias’ cases are vital with the respect to gaining rights for all low-paid immigrant workers”, said Mostafa Henaway of the Temporary Agency Workers Association. ” Companies like Savoura feel that they have complete impunity in their treatment of migrant workers, even if workers are demanding only the most basic of labour standards”, he added.
 
Arteaga Santos will also be highlighting the hypocrisy of the Canadian immigration system. “The Canadian government has been increasingly detaining and deporting families, while stating that there still exists a labour market shortage. This kind of double-speak must be denounced”, he asserted. 
 
A press conference will be held at noon in Salle Pivoine of the Holiday Inn, located at 99 Viger West. At this time, Arteaga Santos will be distributing a letter obtained from the Guatemalan consulate, disputing some of the central arguments Savoura has been upholding to justify their actions.
 
Background: 

Statement by Arteaga made on December 1, 2009: www.cmaq.net/fr/node/37655

Last Solidarity rally held on May 11, 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgusAwAOS18




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Media Contacts:

Isaias Castillo Garcia: 438-938-6270

Noe Arteaga Santos: noearteagas@gmail.com


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