Migrant Workers Rights Based on Citizenship: We Need Them and We Should Protect Them : An Analysis of Ontario and California

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight on the policies that impact the rights of migrant workers in Ontario and California. This paper will explore the policies in depth while also analyzing how citizenship is used as a neoliberal tool to determine the treatment that workers will receive in the workplace. This paper will analyze the employment laws that are in place for Ontario seasonal agricultural workers. The paper will also analyze laws in California including: AB263, SB666, AB2751 and AB450. This paper also examines whether employers uphold the laws in each respective area. I suggest that neoliberalism has had a negative impact on the way that migrant workers are treated because employers thrive off the exploitation of vulnerable workers to stay globally competitive. I also argue that it is possible to ensure the rights of workers in a neoliberal world through increased access to organizations for agricultural workers as well as information regarding their rights.