Project description: For the last several years, Pinay has been leading a campaign in Quebec to have domestic workers (many of whom are of Filipino origin) covered under the provincial CSST program (worker's compensation). Up until now, they have not been included under the CSST program because the Quebec government does not consider domestic workers to be actual workers. In order to push forward with this campaign, Pinay is looking for research which would prove that domestic work does in fact have impacts on the worker's health.

The student doing this research project will examine the health impacts and hazards of domestic work. Research should be conducted via primary (interviews with domestic workers – to be facilitated via Pinay) and secondary sources. Particular attention should be paid to cancer rates among domestic workers, chemical cleaner use, muscle injury, and stress factors.

The Jobra Centre is a migrant-run anti-poverty organization based in the Parc-Ex neighborhood of Montreal. They are working on starting up a cooperative laundry mat on Birnam Street under the principles of Community Economic Development (CED) with the goal of empowering migrants, especially women, living in Parc-Ex.

The Jobra Centre is seeking research on the possibilities for CED projects in Parc-Ex, as well as research looking at past examples of such projects.

The Jobra Centre is looking for a student intern, preferably in the field of social work, community/economic development, or sociology, to carry out day-to-day tasks in their two locations in the Parc Extention neighborhood of Montreal. The intern would maintain regular office hours, coordinate the membership, and assist with the launching of a new laundry cooperative in the area.

Skills required: Familiarity with migrant communities in Montreal, background knowledge in community/economic development, having a second or third language is an asset (French, Spanish, Bengali, Tamil, Arabic, etc.).

About the organization: The Jobra Centre is a poverty relief centre located in the diverse neighborhood of Parc Extention. It’s mission is to promote social entrepreneurship, self-employment, and to empower unemployed immigrant communities. Furthermore, the Jobra Centre strives to relieve poverty through micro-credit tools that facilitate participation in income generating activities.

http://jobracentre.blogspot.com/

The Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC) is a resource centre for new immigrants and workers in Montreal. As a grassroots organization with paid staff, it is often struggling for steady sources of funding.

Cote-des-Neiges is a community in Montreal’s North-West comprised mainly of migrants and people of colour. As an organization rooted in the community, the IWC works to support community members who are struggling against day-to-day police brutality, racial profiling, and harassment. Part of the difficulty in doing support or political mobilizing around this issue is that little qualitative or quantitative data exists with regards to the police in Cote-des-Neiges.