CHRIS RAMSAROOP

A community organizer, Chris educates immigrant communities about workers’ rights in areas such as workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety; engaging them as well in general strategies to resist exploitation.

Chris tells ‘Canvas’ that government initiatives for immigrant workers such as the “Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program” are embedded in a racist structure, a legacy that thrives, he says, because most vulnerable workers remain silent about injustices out of fear of being sent home.

There is a discrepancy between how (im)migrant workers and “Canadian” workers get treated, in some sectors more than others.

Chris believes the Canadian labour movement should be instrumental in addressing these issues, but says it must be careful in how:

“We have to understand our history as a labour movement and how we’ve treated racialized workers … a frank discussion has to happen … there’s a long, long way to go.”

[As labour] we have to be careful and pragmatic, but we also have to be willing to take risks.