The federal government has created a new fund to help temporary foreign workers learn about and exercise their rights while staying in Canada.
"The aim is really to provide support, provide them information, empower them and really correct the power imbalance that we often times see for migrant workers who come over here and work here," said Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk.
The $3.6 million will be distributed through the project TeaMWork at Workforce WindsorEssex. The group is accepting grant applications now to help local organizations that work with and support migrant workers.
"We are doing our very best not to be prescriptive in any of this project, " said Monica Champagne, project lead with Workforce WindsorEssex. "We appreciate that there are a lot of organizations large and small, some very large, some very grassroots, who have been working in this area for a long time and who probably know a lot better than we do what is really needed and what activities will benefit the workers."
The funds will be distributed throughout Essex, Lambton, and Kent Counties.
A steering committee will select the grant recipients. The Call for proposals is now online. Applications are due by February 3. The projects must be completed between April 2023 and February 2024.
More information about the application process can be found here.