The Canadian Farmworkers Union was a

labour union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing farmworkers in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. It was active from 1978 to 1987, primarily among South Asian migrants to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. In 1993, it pushed the

New Democratic Party of British Columbia New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

's government to extend health and safety regulations to agricultural workers. A number of CFU leaders later became prominent politicians and activists in the province. Future

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The office of Speaker in British Columbia The Speaker is elected by the Members of the Legislative Assembly (" ...

Raj Chouhan Raj Chouhan is a Canadian politician and trade unionist, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in the 2005 provincial election. He is serving as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly o ...

was CFU's founding president and social activist

Charan Gill Charan Pal Singh Gill (17 June 19362 February 2021) was a Canadian social activist and South-Asian community leader in British Columbia. Through his work, he focused on improving the living conditions, wages, and working conditions of farmworke ...

was a founding member.

References

{{reflist Agriculture and forestry trade unions 1978 establishments in British Columbia Canadian Labour Congress affiliates Asian-Canadian culture in British Columbia Agriculture in British Columbia