Marcello Di Cintio, Labour, Policy, and Prejudice: What Fuels Canada’s Migrant Worker System

In this powerful departure from the usual business talk, Collisions YYC host Tyler Chisholm reconnects with longtime friend and award-winning author Marcello Di Cintio to discuss his newest book, Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers. What begins as a conversation about storytelling and research quickly becomes a compelling dissection of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program—a system that many Canadian businesses now depend on, yet one that “enables bad bosses to be bad” and quietly upholds racial and economic divides.

Tyler brings the lens of a business owner frustrated by labour shortages, while Marcello offers moving and deeply researched accounts of the people working behind the scenes in farms, restaurants, and care facilities. For leaders navigating a tight labour market, this episode challenges you to see migrant workers not just as solutions to staffing problems—but as human beings who deserve better from the systems they uphold.

Buy the book: Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers 

Support Calgary indie booksellers like Shelf Life Books or Owl’s Nest Books.

In This Episode 

• Why Canada’s labour policies don’t live up to its values
• The historical shift from European to racialized migrant labour
• Stories of courage, loss, and exploitation across sectors
• The business owner’s frustration vs. the worker’s reality
• Hope from the frontlines of advocacy

This episode is brought to you by clearmotive marketing. When it comes to marketing that truly matters to your business, clearmotive is your go-to partner. With a proven track record of more than 15 years, they understand what makes your business tick. Learn more at https://www.clearmotive.ca and discover how clearmotive can help your marketing thrive.

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Host links:

Tyler’s website: https://www.tylerchisholm.com

Tyler’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerchisholm

Guest links:

Marcello Di Cintio’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcello-di-cintio-14681810/

Marcello Di Cintio’s Website: https://www.marcellodicintio.com

Marcello Di Cintio’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcello.di.cintio

Collisions YYC is a Tyler Chisholm original production // Brought to you by clearmotive marketing