Reflection # 3
November 4, 2010
Foreign temporary workers within Canada often expected to leave as quickly as they arrived upon the notice that they themselves have been replaced or the labour they were doing has been adequately completed. These temporary employees are contributors to the Canadian economy by acting in much needed working positions but are being frequently denied permanent citizenship based on unjust premises 
and judgements. Workers that come to Canada should be viewed as beneficial editions in further developing our economy and general structures of our nation. Placing denial, abuse and burden upon them both devalues them as human beings and presents a notion that the work they do is neither appreciated nor considered valid where their standing as hopeful Canadian immigrants is concerned. The meaning of a worker being temporary has apparently transitioned in the opinion of many employers from regarding a person doing a labour that is momentary to considering an actual worker themselves as having temporary needs and rights. In the article “What Do We Owe Our Guest Workers,” the question of whether the current social contract regarding foreign temporary Canadian workers is in the need of reform. To answer this question, in my opinion, it is crucial to review basic human rights – the ethical, moral principles that the country of Canada ideally accepts and bases its decisions on. It must be realized that although it is overly optimistic to believe all foreign temporary workers could (and should) be easily admitted as immigrants to Canada, the idea that when they are working within this country’s borders they should be treated with respect, dignity, be given proper safety precautions necessary for their job, and a chance to be considered for a permanent opportunity to live and build a life in Canada should be a given assumption rather than a matter up for debate or inquisition. Temporary is not a synonym for disposable. When Canadian citizens typically partake in temporary jobs they are commonly viewed as apprenticeships, building work experience, exploring options or settling for the time being within our current society. However, why is it when people from foreign countries sign up for temporary working positions in Canada does their contract frequently become a means to treat them with disregard and place assumptions upon them that once they are no longer particularly useful or irreplaceable within our labour force they are not simply given the option to return back to their country, 
they are expected to. Canadian crops, care aids, restaurants, infrastructure and construction are all essential elements of the Canadian economy, it is imperative that the positions required to keep all of these areas continuously maintained and growing are filled and done correctly. But why are those who often fulfill these occupations, in the case of foreign temporary workers, not receiving the same treatment of importance as we give the labours themselves? The actuality that farm workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program are not given the option to apply for immigrant status at all precisely demonstrates that many Canadian employers consider SAWP workers, among other foreign temporary workers, as interchangeable as the crops they pick, burgers they flip, and infrastructure they build in our country. The reality is that many of these workers are contributing more to Canada’s economy and progression that a lot of the citizens are who are formerly residing. Much of the current population do not work yet receive government benefits – and furthermore those who commit criminal offenses and wrongdoings within the nation of Canada are often citizens, yet are deteriorating the country instead of working to build its economy and structure. One of the arguments presented in the article “What Do We Owe Our Guest Workers,” is that temporary workers surpassing a time period of two years in a consistent labour field of agriculture should be eligible for the application process of permanent Canadian citizenship status. It is my thinking that after an individual has worked in a challenging and important labour such as agriculture, it is obvious that they have contributed to society and made a significant impact on the growth of our countries production for the better. If they were to receive full citizenship, their work ethic would only improve because they would be labouring to better not just Canada – but their own country.
and judgements. Workers that come to Canada should be viewed as beneficial editions in further developing our economy and general structures of our nation. Placing denial, abuse and burden upon them both devalues them as human beings and presents a notion that the work they do is neither appreciated nor considered valid where their standing as hopeful Canadian immigrants is concerned. The meaning of a worker being temporary has apparently transitioned in the opinion of many employers from regarding a person doing a labour that is momentary to considering an actual worker themselves as having temporary needs and rights. In the article “What Do We Owe Our Guest Workers,” the question of whether the current social contract regarding foreign temporary Canadian workers is in the need of reform. To answer this question, in my opinion, it is crucial to review basic human rights – the ethical, moral principles that the country of Canada ideally accepts and bases its decisions on. It must be realized that although it is overly optimistic to believe all foreign temporary workers could (and should) be easily admitted as immigrants to Canada, the idea that when they are working within this country’s borders they should be treated with respect, dignity, be given proper safety precautions necessary for their job, and a chance to be considered for a permanent opportunity to live and build a life in Canada should be a given assumption rather than a matter up for debate or inquisition. Temporary is not a synonym for disposable. When Canadian citizens typically partake in temporary jobs they are commonly viewed as apprenticeships, building work experience, exploring options or settling for the time being within our current society. However, why is it when people from foreign countries sign up for temporary working positions in Canada does their contract frequently become a means to treat them with disregard and place assumptions upon them that once they are no longer particularly useful or irreplaceable within our labour force they are not simply given the option to return back to their country, 
they are expected to. Canadian crops, care aids, restaurants, infrastructure and construction are all essential elements of the Canadian economy, it is imperative that the positions required to keep all of these areas continuously maintained and growing are filled and done correctly. But why are those who often fulfill these occupations, in the case of foreign temporary workers, not receiving the same treatment of importance as we give the labours themselves? The actuality that farm workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program are not given the option to apply for immigrant status at all precisely demonstrates that many Canadian employers consider SAWP workers, among other foreign temporary workers, as interchangeable as the crops they pick, burgers they flip, and infrastructure they build in our country. The reality is that many of these workers are contributing more to Canada’s economy and progression that a lot of the citizens are who are formerly residing. Much of the current population do not work yet receive government benefits – and furthermore those who commit criminal offenses and wrongdoings within the nation of Canada are often citizens, yet are deteriorating the country instead of working to build its economy and structure. One of the arguments presented in the article “What Do We Owe Our Guest Workers,” is that temporary workers surpassing a time period of two years in a consistent labour field of agriculture should be eligible for the application process of permanent Canadian citizenship status. It is my thinking that after an individual has worked in a challenging and important labour such as agriculture, it is obvious that they have contributed to society and made a significant impact on the growth of our countries production for the better. If they were to receive full citizenship, their work ethic would only improve because they would be labouring to better not just Canada – but their own country. 
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