The household plants in many British Columbians’ homes and gardens are planted, moved and shipped by people like Guadalupe Herrera, a temporary foreign worker from Mexico.
Herrera is employed at a nursery where, on paper, he is entitled to the same breaks, overtime pay and working conditions as Canadian workers.
But Herrera says he often works up to 15 hours without a break, and he and his colleagues sleep on the floor of crowded staff accommodation, which they share with rats and mice.
“The boss doesn’t recognize the people, doesn’t say ‘go rest’… doesn’t recognize our labour,” said Herrera.
Guadalupe Herrera says he and other temporary foreign workers at a plant nursery often work 15-hour
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