It appears that an advocacy group for migrant workers has taken aim at Double Diamond Farms, the joint venture partner of Aphria Inc (TSX: APHA) (NASDAQ: APHA). The campaign against Double Diamond began after a video surfaced on Twitter, demonstrating claimed living conditions for migrant workers at the firms operations.
The video in question shows a room containing twelve beds as using cardboard and hung sheets as dividers amidst the coronavirus pandemic to promote social distancing. Hours after publishing, it was released that the living conditions are claimed to be for that of Double Diamond farms, with the living conditions being for that of their Caribbean migrant workers at its Window-Essex bunkhouse.
Advocacy group Justice For Migrant Workers also released a statement on the video, wherein they make a number of claims that they say were revealed after talking with greenhouse employees of both Double Diamond farms and Aphria Inc. Claims include:
- Most employed at the joint Aphria-Double Diamond greenhouse are in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
- While those not working in the greenhouse received a pay bump of $1.00 per hour as a result of the ongoing pandemic, greenhouse workers were excluded from this wage increase.
- Employees have complained about working conditions in light of the pandemic, which includes complaints that social distancing is not possible, especially in communal settings.
The group also points to the apparent hypocrisy of Aphria on the matter, given the statement released by the company recently on the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.
The full release made by Justice For Migrant Workers can be found here.
Aphria has yet to make a statement on the report published by the advocacy group.
Aphria Inc last traded at $4.49 on the Nasdaq.
Information for this analysis was found via Twitter, CBC News, and Justice For Migrant Workers. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.
