Vancouver: City launches multimedia campaign for public feedback on migrant workers

For the first time, city councillors, community representatives and residents have the opportunity to discuss the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its impact on Vancouver.

 As part of a multimedia campaign to raise awareness, the Vancouver Public Library will host a documentary film screening followed by a public discussion on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

 This free event takes place on on May 28th, and allows the public to learn more about the program’s effect on individuals and the local community. The event also aims to generate constructive feedback for improvements on critical issues.  

 “We want to create community dialogue about the TFWP in Vancouver because discussion about temporary foreign workers is under-represented in the public sphere,” said Baldwin Wong, social planner for the City of Vancouver.

 In 2010 employers in British Columbia recruited 67,755 migrant workers, which is almost twice the amount of workers who came in 2007 through the TFWP.

 They work in various industries such as hospitality, food and beverage, construction and care-giving for seniors and children. Canada accepts more than double the amount of TFWs than any other immigrant stream such as refugees and permanent residents.

 “We work so hard but we don’t even know our rights here in Canada,” said Junko Ota-Paul, a former temporary foreign worker who came in through the Live-in Caregiver Program.  “We take care of children for $8.00 per hour, a difficult salary to survive with,” she said.

 Because of the heavy reliance on temporary foreign workers in B.C.,  the Vancouver  Mayor’s Working Group on Immigration has initiated a multi-media project engaging with researchers and community organizers to investigate migrant workers’ experiences and their impact on the City. 

 Under the project, a documentary filmwill be produced, as well as a website, blogs and audio slideshows that showcase the stories of TFWs in Vancouver.

 “There is not enough public debate about the policies of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program,” said City Councillor Geoff Meggs, co-chair of the Mayor's Working Group,  in an interview for the film. “But they contribute so much to the economy and we don’t even know if they live in sub-standard housing” he added. 

The Mayor’s Working Group said that the multimedia report and community dialogue might spark policy discussion and changes.

 The film screening and public dialogue will be held in the Alice Mackay room the Vancouver Public Library Central location at 3:30 pm on May 28, 2011. To reserve a free ticket for the event, please visit the project’s website at www.tfwvancouver.ca .  Tickets will be limited at the door. Complimentary refreshments will be served.City tackles migrant workers’ issues through multimedia

For the first time, city councillors, community representatives and residents have the opportunity to discuss the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its impact on Vancouver.

As part of a multimedia campaign to raise awareness, the Vancouver Public Library will host a documentary film screening followed by a public discussion on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. This free event takes place on on May 28th, and allows the public to learn more about the program’s effect on individuals and the local community. The event also aims to generate constructive feedback for improvements on critical issues.  

“We want to create community dialogue about the TFWP in Vancouver because temporary foreign workers are under-represented in the public sphere,” said Baldwin Wong, social planner for the City of Vancouver.

In 2010, employers in British Columbia recruited 67,755  migrant workers through the TFWP to work in various industries such as hospitality, food and beverage, construction and care-giving for seniors and children. Canada accepts more than double the amount of TFWs than any other immigrant stream such as refugees and permanent residents.

“We work so hard but we don’t even know our rights here in Canada,” said Junko Ota-Paul, a former temporary foreign worker who came in through the Live-in Caregiver Program.  “We take care of children for $8.00 per hour, a difficult salary to survive with,” she said in an interview for the documentary.

Because of the heavy reliance on temporary foreign workers in BC, the Mayor’s Working Group has funded a team of journalists, researchers and community organizers to investigate migrant workers’ experiences.  The documentary film is part of the multimedia project including a website, blogs and audio slideshows that showcase the stories of TFWs in Vancouver.

“There is not enough public debate about the policies of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program,” said City Councillor Geoff Meggs in an interview for the film. “But they contribute so much to the economy and we don’t even know if they live in sub-standard housing” he added.

The Mayor’s Working Group said that the multimedia report and community dialogue might spark policy changes.

The film screening and public dialogue will be held in the Alice Mackay room of the Vancouver Public Library Central location at 3:30 pm on May 28, 2011. To reserve a free ticket for the event, please visit the project’s website at www.tfwvancouver.ca .  Tickets will be limited at the door. Complimentary refreshments will be served.

Source: Vancouver Observer