Brandon has new foreign workers

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This article was published 01/09/2012 (4973 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Forty new foreign workers from El Salvador have arrived in Brandon to work at Maple Leaf Foods.

The group came to the Wheat City Aug. 14 as part of the company’s latest recruitment effort to bring 200 new workers in from El Salvador and Honduras.

“They are (feeling) very positive to be here, because they can change their lifestyle and they can change their family’s lifestyle,” said Elsy Barahona, production supervisor at Maple Leaf Brandon. “They come for the better future and they have a better opportunity.”

Barahona is also from El Salvador, and she arrived in Brandon to work at Maple Leaf Foods in 2005.

She has been helping the new recruits, as she knows first-hand the challenges that come with moving to a new country. Dealing with the language barrier, plus getting accustomed to the new culture, are a few of the main hurdles.

“Most people are leaving family members,” Barahona said. “It’s a challenge for the people that came first, but it’s something they can deal with.”

When the workers first arrive in Brandon, they go through orientations to get familiar with the community, as well as the plant.

“We have… basic living training, so living in Canada, this is what you can expect. We help them set up bank accounts here in town; we give them sort of a welcome package, the necessities that you would need to start out in Canada,” said Morgan Curran-Blaney, the Brandon plant manager.

Maple Leaf assists the workers in an effort to make the transition to Canada as seamless as possible. The company secures housing for the new recruits before they arrive, which works out to roughly 37 houses and apartments.

“We make sure that if we bring over 200 employees, we can actually house 200 employees,” Curran-Blaney said. “So we go in advance and make sure that we secure the housing, we furnish it, and our goal is to be able to integrate these employees into the community as fast as possible.”

Curran-Blaney said they try to disperse the new employees throughout the community, rather than create pockets in the city.

“We also link in with our current El Salvador and Honduran base, to make sure that… when these new workers come over, they’re able to make links and ties with people that have been here three, four or five years,” he said.

Barahona said connecting with people from their home country is a big help to the newcomers.

“People from El Salvador received those people, try to help them… try to give to them and support them,” she said.

This is the first group of foreign workers recruited since a federal policy change to the provincial nominee program (PNP) came into effect. As of July 1, immigrants will have to pass a language-proficiency test to apply for permanent residency. Previously, there was no language test.

Workers will now have to pass an English test 18 months after they arrive as a foreign temporary worker.

“They can’t bring their families over unless they do get permanent residency, so if they can’t achieve it, then basically… they’ll have to go back to their home countries,” said Leslie Allen, executive director of Westman Immigrant Services (WIS).

“If they do achieve it, then yes they can bring their families over and it will be sort of the same type of process as we’ve become accustomed to here in the Westman area.”

Allen said WIS is working with community groups in hopes of increasing the resources for temporary foreign workers.

“Everyone wants them to stay and…we really don’t want to see a revolving door happening here in our community with temporary foreign workers,” she said. “We need to increase the resources here and have the tools available so the temporary foreign workers can be successful in acquiring language to that level.”

jaustin@brandonsun.com