Open Letter to François Legault

Dear Prime Minister, During this pandemic time, we would like to draw your attention to the plight of undocumented migrants. These are essential and ignored workers for whom we demand :

• Access to an income for the duration of the pandemic.
• A health card with all the privileges it gives all citizens.
• Issuance of Certificats de sélection de Québec, which allow people to apply for permanent residency at the federal level.

  Undocumented migrants can be found in a number of sectors of activity that are essential to our society: sowing fields, picking fruit and vegetables, labeling and packaging food, preparing meals, caring for children, the elderly and the sick, cleaning restaurants, offices and homes, etc. However, they perform their duties with one notable disadvantage: they are undocumented. More often than not, this means accepting an hourly rate of $9 or $10, knowing that the minimum wage is $13.10 as of May 1. Sometimes, they don’t get paid at all. What’s more, in the event of a workplace accident, these workers are excluded from compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Act, and are unable to seek medical treatment. As for non-status women, they are often sexually and psychologically harassed without being able to lodge a complaint with the Commission des normes, de l’équité et de la santé et sécurité au travail. What’s more, like other immigrant and racialized women, they are over-represented in care work and housekeeping, which is not only physically and psychologically demanding, but also poorly remunerated despite its high value. Within the Association des travailleuses et travailleurs temporaires des agences de placement (ATTAP), the Association des travailleuses et travailleurs migrant.es du Québec (ATTMQ) and the Coalition contre le travail précaire, people without status are involved in the struggle to raise the minimum wage to $15. The leadership of non-status people was decisive in the adoption of Quebec’s new regulations on employment agencies, which better protect agency workers. Despite their professional and social commitment to Quebec society, they are not getting a fair return. Despite the stress and fear caused by the risk of detention and deportation for strictly administrative reasons, these people are strong and dignified enough to stay, work and fight. Like many workers, they have lost their jobs, but unlike the rest of the population, they have no access to income replacement programs. They now have access to screening for Covid-19, but contrary to the announcement by the Minister of Health, the exorbitant fees for care are not free in all hospitals. This jeopardizes the lives of these people and defies any public health logic. People without status must have the same rights as the rest of the population! To enable them to look after their own health, well-being and families, decisive government intervention is needed now more than ever. (Letter published in Le Devoir on May 9-10, 2020)