Oct 12

“We Lived in Fear”

The Immigrant Worker Centre (IWC) estimates that as many as 400 workers have been caught up in the alleged scheme.

Benoît Scowen, an organizer with the IWC, says the six people who came forward Wednesday are only speaking publicly because they now have legal protections from the federal government.

“Everyone else is in an incredibly vulnerable position,” said Scowen, who spent months gathering testimony from the workers. “One of the problems with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is that the only real oversight mechanism requires workers to come forward. Read the full report

Related Posts

Free Legal Information Clinic on Labour Law

On May 9, 2026, the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC-CTI) was pleased to collaborate with Blouin Avocats for a presentation on pathways to permanent residence. The free workshop, led by lawyer Soraya Blouin at our Montreal office, gave approximately fifty participants an opportunity to learn more about the Québec Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) and the Québec Experience Program (PEQ). Additional Resources for Permanent Residence The IWC-CTI is a community organization... Read more →

Stop the Arbitrary Powers in Bill C12

In a significant political development, a Senate committee has recommended removing the broad immigration powers from the border bill C12, following mounting warnings from human rights organizations, lawyers, and refugee advocates. They clearly warned that the proposed legislation could violate human rights and lacks basic procedural fairness. This recommendation did not come out of nowhere. Parliamentary debate revealed that the bill grants the government sweeping authority to cancel or suspend... Read more →

Class action lawsuit against Newrest and Trésor: the claim period is now open

2025-11-17 - Avis post approbation - FR The settlement agreement reached by the parties of the class action has been approved by the Superior Court of Quebec on September 19th, 2025. Since the notices have been sent out, you may now claim your compensation by filing the form found on the claims administrator’s, Proactio, website: [https://proactio.ca/en/class-action/immigrant-workers/]

WDO Hosts 2025 International Women’s Day Press Conference

Women of Diverse Origins Marks IWD 2025 with Press Conference The press conference will feature speeches from women who are leaders, organizers, and activists from various communities and groups, representing a wide range of women’s struggles and resistances worldwide. Speakers will include workers from Amazon and from the migrant and health sectors. We will also hear about women’s issues in Indigenous communities, Palestine, Haiti, the Philippines, and Sudan. Women of... Read more →