Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA) Simcoe Support Centre Celebrates 10th Anniversary on September 20

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 19, 2013) - ATTN: ASSIGNMENT AND MEDIA EDITORS FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

Hundreds of migrant and domestic agriculture workers and community and labour allies will be gathering for the 10th Anniversary celebration of the Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA) Support Centre in Simcoe, Ontario on Friday, September 20. Over the past decade, the Simcoe AWA Support Centre has been a vital resource, meeting place, and a source of solidarity to thousands of migrant and domestic agriculture workers employed each season throughout Norfolk and Haldimand counties.

On Friday, September 20 at 5:30 p.m., the celebration begins at the Simcoe AWA Support Centre at 44 Peel Street, in downtown Simcoe, Ontario. The celebration includes an official anniversary welcoming reception and speakers, and a community barbeque and street festival.

WHAT:

10th Anniversary celebration of the Simcoe AWA Support Centre

WHEN:

Friday, September 20, commencing at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA) Support Centre - Simcoe

44 Peel Street

Simcoe, Ontario N3Y 1S3

BACKGROUND:

Founded in 2003, the Simcoe AWA centre was the second of what has now become a network of ten AWA centres across Canada; four of them in Ontario including Simcoe, Leamington, Virgil and Bradford, Ontario. Operated in association with UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers union), the centres and their multi-lingual staff assist tens of thousands of agriculture workers annually with compensation claims, scheduling, pay issues, referral to legal counsel, health and safety training, CPP claims, and many other issues including unfair treatment and unsafe housing and working conditions. Today, with more than 13,000 members across the country, the AWA is the largest and most comprehensive agriculture workers' organization in North America.