Think I'm About To Fore-go My Eggs!!!

[CopperJonny]

This is what happens when we vote in "Yee whom Open the flood gates out of greed!" (I'm not saying anyone else is better, just incredibly disgusted!)

Whom is directly responsible for CREATING the skilled labour shortage in this Country.

As well as sabotaging (I'm sure I am not overestimating here)....Millions of Canadian families welfare... taking careers away from proud and highly skilled fellow Canadians lives. Food off of Canadian Childrens plates .. I'm not kidding .

Your wage , and mine ... thats next ! Funny how the cost of everything goes up, as it should.. except our earnings( for the majority) now ....... its going to be incredibly tough to do so and or hang on to what we now have!

Please pardon my rant, this manipulative government of ours ... Relentless!

 

 

Foreign worker hiring fast-tracked

A+

BY SHEILA PRATT, EDMONTON JOURNAL JULY 17, 2012

The door is open much wider for temporary foreign workers in six construction jobs, and tradesmen from the U.S. can now pick up work permits at the airport, the federal immigration minister announced Monday.

 

But organized labour is worried Canadians may be left out if companies are no longer required to consider them first in six job categories.

 

At Alberta's request, the federal government has agreed to eliminate the requirement that an employer must prove that Canadians were not available (called a labour market opinion) in six job categories - welder, ironworker, carpenter, estimator, millwright and heavy duty equipment mechanic. Pipefitters have been coming for a year without a requirement for the LMO.

 

These are high-demand occupations and employers need to be able to recruit workers much faster to meet growing demand in the oilsands and in Edmonton, where the unemployment rate is 4.4 per cent, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said.

 

Once inside the province, temporary workers will now be able to take jobs with other employers when their first contracts are over, Kenney said. Previously, foreign workers could not change employers.

 

Kenney said he had no concerns about eliminating the requirement for the LMO, a document outlining evidence of a shortage in a particular category of worker and proof the employer had advertised in Canada for workers but got no response.

 

Kenney stressed he would rely on the provincial government to keep an eye on trends in construction employment to determine if the shortage turns into an oversupply of labour in those categories.

 

Kenney said he doesn't think the federal government will be "so keen" to open the doors that wide in other areas, including for unskilled temporary foreign workers.

 

Temporary foreign workers must have job offers and documents to prove they are qualified in a trade before getting work permits.

 

The new rules will help companies recruit in the U.S., where many construction workers remain unemployed, Kenney said. U.S. workers can work for three weeks and spend a week back home - a pattern common for many Canadians working in the oilsands.

 

But Gil McGowan, head of the Alberta Federation of Labour, said it's a mistake to eliminate the LMO, the one check in the system that protected Canadian access to such jobs.

 

Alberta's non-union contractors gain a big advantage under the new system, he said. Along with elimination of the LMO, Prime Minister Stephen Harper three months ago announced foreign workers can be paid up to 15 per cent less than the going Canadian wage.

 

But union employers must abide by the collective agreement, said McGowan.

 

"This will help make foreign workers the first choice, not the last resort," said McGowan.

 

"This is not about a labour shortage, it's a low-wage strategy. This is mostly designed to give companies access to a big pool of construction labour in the U.S. that is desperate for jobs."

 

McGowan noted that half the companies looking for construction workers do not have apprenticeship training programs, and said those companies should not be allowed to bring in temporary workers.

 

"They don't want long-term solutions, they want quick fixes, and that's what Harper will give them."

 

Stephen Khan, Alberta's minister for enterprise and advanced education, said he's pleased with the new rules, which will create a fast track for six occupations by eliminating paperwork and weeks of waiting involved to obtain the LMO.

 

"We are engaging industry" to take a bigger role in recruiting labour, he said.

 

In a meeting Monday with the Journal editorial board, Kenney noted there is high unemployment among aboriginal youth and up to 14 per cent of immigrants are jobless or chronically underemployed. "I think employers have to do a lot more about skill training."

 

spratt@edmontonjournal.com

 

© Copyright © Edmonton Journal

[CopperJonny]

Heres more !! Not only six , now at 31 or so occupations....

 

 

Fast-Track Option Expanded for Foreign Workers

 

With a pressing need for skilled workers, Canada's Western provinces continue to implement new initiatives to help foreign workers get to Canada and start contributing to the labour force quickly. Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) is rolling out the welcome mat to temporary foreign workers, making the transition into the workforce easier, faster and with more protection .

 

HRSDC's Expedited Labour Market Opinion (E-LMO) pilot project has been expanded to cover nearly three times the number of qualifying occupations. It will now be much faster for Alberta and British Columbia (BC) employers to hire temporary foreign workers for 33 select occupations in the health care, hospitality, construction, manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, and sales and services sectors. Whereas the current processing time for LMO applications is five months, for occupations that fall under the E-LMO, applications will be processed within five days.

 

In order to hire a temporary foreign worker, Canadian employers must first apply to HRSDC for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO). The LMO is an assessment of the current Canadian labour market, which ensures that there are no Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents available to fill the positions, before employers are granted permission hire foreign workers. For the 33 occupations now covered by the expanded pilot project, it has already been established that employers have been struggling to find new employees for open positions. With the need for temporary foreign workers in these occupations already predetermined, extensive LMO assessments are no longer necessary.

 

"We anticipate needing to attract 30,000 workers with specific skills to British Columbia each year to meet our labour and skill shortage challenges," noted Colin Hansen, BC Minister of Economic Development. "By expanding the numbers of occupations included in this pilot project, more employers will now benefit from having better and faster access to the temporary foreign workers they need."

 

The Canadian Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Monte Solberg, highlighted the benefit of the expansion. "The 33 occupations now included in this pilot represent 50 per cent of the total volume of labour market opinion applications from employers in B.C. and Alberta." A dedicated team of temporary foreign worker officers have been established in Alberta and BC to process the greater volume of E-LMO's. The pilot project will run in BC and Alberta until September 2008.

 

The Alberta government has also stepped up its efforts to protect foreign workers by establishing special advisory offices in Edmonton and Calgary. Foreign workers can obtain help from inspectors and employment standards officers in resolving employment standards and occupational health and safety issues. The inspectors and officers will also carry out inspections of companies to ensure that temporary foreign workers receive the wages, overtime, general holiday, and vacation pay to which they are entitled.

 

Complete List of Occupations Included in the E-LMO Pilot Project

Carpenters

Crane Operators

Construction Labourers

Steamfitters and Pipefitters

Ironworkers

Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics

Machinists

Roofers

Industrial Electricians

Welders

Surveyor Helpers

Commercial Janitors and Caretakers

Specialized Cleaners

Mechanical Engineers

Civil Engineers

Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Petroleum Engineers

Mechanical Engineering Technologists

Hotel and Hospitality Room Attendants

Hotel Front Desk Clerks

Food and Beverage Servers

Food Counter Attendants

Food Service Supervisors

Industrial Meat Cutters

Courier Drivers

Residential Cleaning and Support Workers

Manufacturing and Processing Labourers

Tour and Travel Guides

Registered Nurses

Dental Technicians

Pharmacists

Snowboard and Ski Instructors

Retail Sales Persons and Sales Clerks

 

 

Just thought I would share this.

[Guest bobjones]

I believe the issue here is that wages for these occupations are completely out of whack, and one only needs to look at Europe to know that if you can't stay competitive globally, then globalization will eat you up eventually.

 

For a long time this industry (O&G) has believed they have a captive market and as a result, the costs for directly related fields has balooned and this in turn has driven up the wages in all areas of the province (including beverage workers). They are way out of line. You should know that the major operaters in the Oil Sands are all completing tours of Asia and have recently signed agreements with foreign companies for both engineering and fabrication for Oil Sands projects and this is the tip of the iceburg. These foreign workers mentioned in this article will pay the same taxes on their earnings that Canadians do. If the work gets moved overseas, Canada gets nothing back from those wages.

 

Nortel had 30000 Canadians paying taxes in 2000. That number (through the companies that bought the pieces) is down to under 1000 in 2012. All of those jobs are in Asia, and Canada has lost about $3B in wage revenue (and if you buy into the argument that $1 of wages translates into $5-7 worth of economy - that is $15-21B in GDP!).

 

If you think Shell, Imperial, Suncor and others are going to continue to pay costs of $225/hour (direct and indirect costs) for skilled labour in the field to execute their projects, my opinion is that you are incorrect.

[CopperJonny]

With all due respect I believe your estimation of $225/hour is what is way out of whack first of all ! And does not exceed $60 an hour package deal!! And in all honesty if the cost of manning projects approach what you say the "indirect" side is insurance premiums set by the insurance companies due to the amount of accidents that have happened involving life and limb ! Which have only happened for the same reason that the changes in the earth have happened, where as no changes are made until after something happens. Safety is paramount to projects NOW and have been only enforced fully for the past 8-9 years and only gradually improving to what they are now via trial error and ignorance. Thank God we finally see the light and not just the green.

The wages in this province have risen , due to none other than the cost of living having risen. From what I understand if our wages had kept up with inflation over the past 50 years, we would be earning 40% more than what we do now. And that means everyone! Minimum wage included.

Having said that, in my opinion when we talk about the "skilled labour shortage" in food and beverage industry which I honestly know nothing of ( haven't worked in it since I was a busboy/prep/server/dish before I went to Tech for Welding '97. That is due to the wages earned in that field. No one may live gainfully earning at poverty level income. No one. So having that, they have a lot of understandable trouble to man those fields. Raise the wage and make it more fair and Canadians will fill those positions more eagerly. IF that doesn't happen then ok, open the doors.

At the $40ish an hour wage (and under $60 for full package ) earned by tradesmen up there, who at which is less than fair compensation for being away from families for extended periods of time, and living in less than descent living quarters(camps) which are more in line with institutions than a "home away from home". Constant scrutinization by "rent a cops" who are God up there. As well as having personal rights of privacy stripped of them while helping said companies complete construction and maintenance ( In the middle of no where) where the closest city has prices directly aligned with the economic activity and the residence wanting all of the workers money. It is only greed that the companies declare that the wages are too much.

In fact, once told to me by an unnamed CEO, they have a certain budget of which they will spend 75% of to keep wages low.

Yes in construction of said plants labour cost is 40% of the mark ups . et in the real world its obvious it costs money to make money. They just want more in they're own pockets and feel they should have them built and maintained for near nothing.

So when Corporations and companies decide they will go forth with plans, everything is swell until the cost comes up , and you know as well as I do they only do everything in they're power to have it done the cheapest. Just ike you and i going to a pump here in Alberta and spend $100+ to fill one tank and complain... when in other countries the same costs less than $20 .

The work performed in all trades and fields in Canada by Canadians and under Canadian Standards are second to none !

Everything is of highest quality, that the Customers are willing to pay for !

The 'Shortage of Worker's" has been created by our own Government, who for " The Greater good of Canadians" have the flood doors wide open, with too many projects going at once, dissolving careers of millions of Tax Paying citizens of this country, taking food off of Canadian children's plates, in turn "Not helping our national Economy in the long run"!!

A cap on projects should be implemented and completed in stages, shifting the workers in tune with the projects, continually manning them... in turn supporting Canadians and families which directly and indirectly fund each and every other field in the economy.. Banks, Grocer's, Schools, Hospitals, Law firms , Accountants, Corner stores, Day cares, research societies, charities , think of anything and its funded by Canadians first !

We have more than enough "able " people in this nation who choose to live close to home than travel were we need workers. We need some more funding to help with training of skilled labours , and many people who sit and collect social assistance and unemployment at home, who have two arms, two legs , and a good back that works fine.. Yet sit home collecting what they may (i.e. social assistance) for free in areas that have an incredible shortage of work. ( i.e.: reserves, small towns back home where the Pulp mill , or mine have shut down). What the government and industry leaders need to do in my Opinion is offer as much help as possible in training, then give "Able" Canadians a chance to change there lives. It is they're choice... If you are able , then we need you , over here... You get funding while being trained.... then upon completion 3 months of job search funding. Followed by last's months rent .... flight ticket to occupation... and first months rent where you are going. ( Kiss Nanny and Grampy , kids, friends goodbye.... you'll see them at Christmas cause you should be able to afford to fly home as a working man/woman. And or relocate them to where you are going in the future... either way.... less Able bodies unemployed= more Canadians employed first. Less renting and more Canadian homebuyers.... and Paramount in the eyes of the Government " Taxes" are being paid by Canadians into the coffer, and not just the taxes....the whole darn pay check winds up staying in Canada and spent here for the most part.

[MrWilloughby]

I think if the government (at all levels) made an effort to have affordable and accessible education and training available to Canadian citizens we would not be seeing such a demand for foreign workers. Governments traditionally cut education and healthcare budgets to meet whatever goals they “need” to meet at the time and this is ultimately the consequence: poor access to healthcare and a lack of educated people capable of filling the job market.

We deride the actions of student protesters in Quebec but think about it for a minute (even if Quebec does have the lowest cost for tuition in Canada the principal is the same), who wants to get an education when getting that education will leave you literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt in some cases? Many people don’t want to do that and opt for easier and more feasible solutions so that they can support a family but what happens when the market takes a hit and the easy solution is no longer viable because the price of oil is way down or the mill closes?

 

People en mass seem to vote along party lines regardless of the history of the party and the broken promises they leave behind like peanut shells on a barroom floor. If voters actually held their elected officials and parties accountable you would see a drastically different standard of living in this (or any) country.

 

We have a tenth of the population of the US and have been lucky enough to avoid most of the major setbacks that they have seen in the past ten years or so but we are beginning to see them now as we begin to embrace their style of government more and more. What we don’t seem to think about is that with their brand of uber capitalism comes the associated risks. Corporations there have outsourced the vast majority of manufacturing jobs resulting in huge levels of unemployment. Look at Detroit for example.

 

This also is true of IT and customer service jobs. The majority of companies have their customer service centres based in foreign countries where the fellow on the other end of the line is most definitely not named “Bob” despite his claims to contrary.

 

There is a reason why Japan, decimated at the end of the Second World War, is now a global powerhouse of innovation and manufacturing, and that is because they did not choose the “cheapest” way or the most short sighted methods for a quick buck.

 

*note* I specifically did not mention any particular party or flavor of political belief because, in my opinion, they are all as bad as the other regardless of their left or right leanings on the spectrum simply because they count on low voter turnout and party line mentality that will not hold them to be accountable.