Legal Advocay Program

The Legal Advocacy Program is a partnership program between Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) and Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS).

ACS Vision: Our vision is of a community and an agency that provide a friendly, stimulating, safe and caring environment in which to live and work.

PICS Vision: To build a healthy and just society which values and respects all cultures and promotes harmony and intercultural understanding through collaboration with other agencies and institutions. The Law Foundation of British Columbia funds the Legal Advocacy program. The Legal Advocacy program examines, reviews and highlights issues to improve conditions of agricultural workers through legal education and law reform.

Who We Are
The Legal Advocacy Program has two Legal Advocacy Workers, one at ACS and the other at PICS to address the unique needs of the seasonal worker communities in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley Regions.

Abbotsford Community Services Society and the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society

Program Objectives:

• To provide legal information, education, awareness and access to seasonal workers in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley area
  
• To provide research and analysis on policies and law (Municipal, Provincial, and Federal) which deny equitable treatment to the seasonal workers
  
• To advocate and lobby for changes in such policies
  
• To liaise, enhance and coordinate with existing Agricultural Worker Advisory Committee, Farm Workers Committee and other support/reference based consortiums
  
• To compile and develop an Agriculture Worker's Resource Center for both organizations
  
• To deliver educational workshops to workers to inform them of their rights and responsibilities in the workplace
  
• Agriculture Worker's Resource Center at both organizations
  
• Translate publications in Punjabi and other languages if needed
  
• To work in partnership with legal professional to ensure legally redress for seasonal workers.

Who We Serve
The Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) and the Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) serves Agricultural workers. These are primarily immigrants who face multiple barriers.

Farm Workers

• Poor working conditions
  
• Non Payment of wages
  
• Cyclical nature of employment
  
• Multiple barriers in employment
  
• Inadequate housing
  
• Unsafe transportation
  
• Health & Safety hazards
  
• Cultural sensitivity and Harassment
  
• Lack of childcare facilities
  
• Lack of information on Employment Standards, Worker's Compensation, Employment Insurance and legal redress.

Please contact us if you have any questions. Please help us to make Agricultural Workers web site best source of information for farm workers by sending us your comments or suggestions.

For more information visit our web site at:

www.farmworkersinfo.ca

Funder by The Law Foundation of British Columbia
For more information in Abbotsford, please contact:

Gurcharan Dhillon at 604-859-7681 (Local 307).

For more information in Surrey, please contact:

Gurtej Gill at 604-501-3824.