Citizenship and Immigration committee  There have been three applications made that were... There were two that were ultimately rejected, and one that was approved.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  You have raised the case of a worker who says he didn't get his work permit. You say that the employer was expecting him. I can't answer that. You should perhaps approach the government authorities.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Out of 5,000 workers... If you tell me as well that the employer wanted him to come, I don't know what happened.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's the exclusion that is in the Quebec Labour Code, yes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We did an analysis of the situation in terms of associations or unionizing in agriculture, at AGRIcarrières, to determine exactly what the situation was. At the ministère du Travail, we identified 22 collective agreements relating to poultry farms, hog farms and greenhouses. Those collective agreements do exist.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I just want to say that on most farms, seasonal agricultural workers are prevented from unionizing under a Quebec regulation that says there have to be three employees working year-round before they can unionize. This year, there are three farms where Mexican workers tried to unionize, but they were prevented.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The only three applications for union certification we know about are applications by foreign temporary workers to be certified. The other collective agreements that exist were signed by local unions, for the most part. There are some that are affiliated with the FTQ, but they have never needed to go to court to exercise those rights.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We know about them. Those applications for union certification have been...

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Of course. Every year, we give employers training and information about the practices they have to adopt and about employment contracts. This is extremely well documented and monitored by Service Canada, by the consulates, and by FERME. There is a lot of oversight and the Temporary Foreign Workers Program is monitored very closely.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes. By disciplinary action, do you mean excluding someone from the program, for example? I have never seen that. We don't handle those things. Service Canada, the agency that takes the applications, probably steps in, in those cases. Service Canada and the consulate. The consulates are the ones that agree to the conditions of employment and how things will be done on the farms.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We agree on that point. That is not a problem with the employer, it's a problem with the Canadian policy.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We have prepared a brief. So I assume you will have it in the next few days.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Are you talking about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We are covered by the Quebec Labour Code.