Issues and Challenges in the Temporary Foreign Workers Program
Canada has always been a country of immigrants, but Canada’s approach to immigration policy has changed many times over the years. Increasingly, Canada welcomes individuals from other countries on a temporary basis, for the purposes of work or study. The temporary foreign worker program is seen by some as good economic policy, while others question whether the program gives rise to the exploitation and abuse of foreign workers. This panel will explore some of the issues that have been raised about the program and examine the advocacy and litigation work that has grown out of these issues.
- Yessy Byl, Human Rights Educator, Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
- Kerry Cundal, Faculty of Law, University of Calgary
- Catherine Dauvergne, Canada Research Chair in Migration Law, University of British Columbia
- Charles Gordon, Counsel, Fiorillo Gavin Gordon LLP
- Moderator: Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour
This session will be held on Saturday, October 22nd from 10:45 A.M to 12:15 P.M. Full conference program and further details available here.
Speaker Bios
Yessy Byl, Human Rights Educator, Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
 |
Yessy Byl graduated from Calgary Law School in 1980 and since that time has worked as a labour lawyer in private practice and on staff with unions in Alberta. She is a volunteer lawyer and a past board member with the Edmonton Community Legal Centre. Her volunteer work with ECLC led to her continuing involvement with Temporary Foreign Worker issues.
She was also the Temporary Foreign Worker Advocate with the Alberta Federation of Labour from 2007 to 2011. As the TFW Advocate, she co-authored two reports on TFWs: “TFWs – Alberta’s Disposable Workforce” ( November, 2007) and “Entrenching Exploitation” (April 2009). She currently works as the Northern Alberta Educator for the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Center, works temporarily with an Alberta union and also is a tutor for Athabasca University in labour studies. In between her numerous jobs and volunteer projects, Yessy dotes on her dog Daisy and plays with her antique button collection. |
Kerry Cundal, Faculty of Law, University of Calgary
 |
Kerry Cundal, B.A. (Poli Sci), B.Ed, B.A.(Law & Soc.), J.D. is an alumni of the University of Calgary Law School and a junior immigration lawyer practicing in Calgary, AB. She was one of the principal authors and researchers of a recent report, Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta: Human Rights Issues, published by the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre in 2010. She volunteers with the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association pro bono legal clinic and provides immigration law presentations to the Distress Centre in Calgary. |
Catherine Dauvergne, Canada Research Chair in Migration Law, University of British Columbia
 |
Catherine Dauvergne holds the Canada Research Chair in Migration Law at the University of British Columbia. Her most recent book is Making People Illegal: What Globalization Means for Migration and Law. She is currently working a research project analyzing the failure of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect non-citizens in Canada. |
Charles Gordon, Counsel, Fiorillo Gavin Gordon LLP
 |
Charles is a graduate of the University of Toronto Law School and also has an undergraduate degree in political science from Queen’s University in Kingston, and a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia. He was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1992. Since his call, Charles has principally represented trade unions. Following his call he was counsel to a large construction union, following which he was counsel for the B.C. Labour Relations Board, appearing on behalf of the Board on judicial review applications, including appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada. Charles joined Fiorillo Glavin Gordon in 2001 and became a partner the next year. He represents a wide variety of unions in many sectors of the economy. He has experience in representing unions before labour boards, arbitration boards, human rights tribunals, other administrative tribunals and all levels of court. Charles has frequently lectured on labour and human rights matters for the Continuing Legal Education Program, Insight Conferences, Lancaster House and various other groups. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers and is a member and past president of the Canadian Bar Association Labour Law Section. |
