A New Brunswick seafood processing company has been fined $1-million for violating rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program – the largest ever fine levied by the federal government against companies that use the program for migrant labour.

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40 workers from Mexico and the Philippines began working at the processing plant in May, 2023, under employment contracts between six and 12 months in duration. But workers had their hours cut substantially from what was stated on their contract, according to MWAC. For example, they were initially scheduled to work 12- to 16-hour days, but had their hours reduced to 20 hours a week. They were still paid for 30 hours of weekly work, as per their employment contracts, but were told that the company was “owed” the difference and they would have to find some way of repaying the company, MWAC alleges.

Estefania Montes, a migrant worker from Mexico, told The Globe she struggled to cover her basic living expenses because Bolero only scheduled her to work for 16 of the 25 weeks in her employment contract. She entered Canada in May, 2023, on a one-year work permit under the TFW program and immediately began employment at Bolero. She said she could not afford to pay rent to her employer (Bolero provided migrant workers with accommodation) because her weekly wages were much lower than what was stated she would receive in her contract with Bolero.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-new-brunswick-seafood-processor-bolero-tfw-fine/