OK Jim, the time is ripe, go after the Chinese workers in the coal mine in Tumbler Ridge. Go, go, go.

Good for them to put the foot down on this. Train Canadian workers if there is a shortage. Many people would love to be retrained into these positions.

Jobs for Canadians for Canadian Resources!

yes shut them down, come onto the site, No work visa, escort them back out.

Surprise, surprise. I just read the other day that Pat Bell was the President of Conifex.

Good point Hespoke, did these workers have work visas? I know the process to apply can be onerous.

Remember, before we start calling for the borders to be closed, there are Canadians working in other countries around the world as well.

There will be lots of resource style workers looking for jobs here pretty quick. The mining bubble is bursting and all these guys will be looking for jobs. Wait and see.

So the pitch on Enbridge is all these jobs, but if we’re using foreign workers now, just who will be doing all these pipeline jobs – foreign workers – if so, what benefit is the pipeline to us at all?

Dick Harris must comment on this serious issue as this is federal policy at work.

Perhaps Dick Harris is to busy enjoying another dinner on the taxpayers tab for him to comment on the hiring of foreign workers in his riding ? Our career long back bencher should be working for his constituents,including Canadian crane operators.

“Remember, before we start calling for the borders to be closed, there are Canadians working in other countries around the world as well.”

That may be true, but if a Canadian trades person got work in the USA, they’d lose their bleedin’ minds. The Americans protect their own much better than our Fed. Gov’t does. They seem to enjoy selling us all down the river.

Does anyone know about the hiring policy for the construction of the Fort St James co Generation plant? The project is now under construction, and yet I can not find any job postings for the 180 available construction Jobs.

Sullman, if, and I don’t know if this is the case, but if it’s a union construction job, the worker’s will be dispatched through their respective union hiring halls, so you wouldn’t see them advertising. You’d have to apply to the applicable union for membership to be dispatched to that particular project, and there’s no guarantees.

I’m betting there are a whack of Tim Horton’s employees that are a tad worried today. :)

Not sure when Pat Bell became the President of Conifex or when Dick Harris became the MP for Mackenzie…

I’ve boycott McDonalds already. It seems like a lot of franchise are taking advantage of the foreign workers. Does anyone know if Tim Hortons is abusing this program?

Haven’t seen a visible temporary worker at a Mcdonalds restaurant yet. Lots of them across the street at Timmy’s though. Just an observation. Not sure how I feel about it.

I’ve seen people who are completely inexperienced turn down jobs for 15$ and hour. We all have to start from the bottom if they have no experience. If there is no crane operator to do the job then get one in. If there is no one to make coffee at Tim hortons because everyone thinks there work 20+ an hour. Bring them in. Maybe it’s time for people to understand the stepping stones of work. The more you put in the more you get back. Sorry but I see a bunch of people too good for work so they go on welfar. Well then of coarse someone is going to take that job. Someone who has morals. As far a the trades workers. Most of them are too lasy to work hard. Forign workers need the job and money so they will work had for it. Most Canadian workers would rather hide behind the unions and make excuses to get out of doing the job

renslip is that you talking dick harris

all you pro union people in prince george have got to stop voting for dick harris

Posted by: sullman on April 15 2014 2:15 PM
all you pro union people in prince george have got to stop voting for dick harris

————–

Why?

Caught me. I say either work or don’t get payed. Someone will always fill yor position. And I will add drug and alcohol test for welfar checks is a must

Sullman;
Bob Zimmer is the MP for the area in question, not Dick Harris.
Pat Bell is “Executive Vice President, Conifex Timber Inc” since January of this year.

Elaine Macdonald

ya I know but Mackenzie has more in common with pg

Renslip, I do believe you just called a whole bunch of workers in Canada too Lasy to work, because they are unionized.

I have seen both sides in the construction industry over the past 30 years. The work ethics are still intact, the work gets done down the line, both on the union and non union side.

There are perks to being in the union as well as disadvantages. There are perks on the non union sides as well as disadvantages. But, if you want to keep your workforce, you have to have competitive rates. Its pretty simple, after work they still go to the same bar.

Maybe I am surrounded by the wrong crowd, but I see a lot of my employees with very good work ethics and all they want to do is work and get ahead in life. I also do encourage them to be successful. I see the workers in the Timmies and MCDonald’s they work pretty hard too. I have no problem with the color of their skin, as long as they have their paperwork in place and have the right to pay taxes and improve our country.

Ideally, Canada needs to bring in more young people into Canada, via immigration. These people have to move into Canada, work in Canada, and contribute their tax dollars to the system. I have no problems where they come from as long as the it is done correctly. Bring them in, make them Canadians, somebody has to keep the wheels turning. We live in a pretty good country where a bit of sweat on the brows will earn you a good living. If our sons and daughters can’t or wouldn’t want to do that, than perhaps they don’t deserve the second car in the driveway, or the cabin at the lake. This country, is the land of opportunity, and if our sons and daughters are too lazy to take advantage of it, than go on welfare, but don’t whine to me about it. None of my kids are lazy. I have a few friends kids are bit of a slack a$$. but I also look at the environment they grew up in.

Remember when Dick Harris was first elected MP for the Reform party-Canada’s version of the tea party?Meaning pro corporation pro haves anti union.Now Canadians are seeing the consequences of these radical right policies.What we need is an MP who not only supports infrastructure spending but obtains it.A good place to start would be our National highway 16.The list is a long one and the time is short

We have always been proud of Canada being made up of all races. At least thats the way I have understood it. So why in heck cant all races work here??? This is where the union
kind of sucks. Its true, our own people dont do as well. Most the young ones live at home and dont do work. I say let all be able to work in Canada if they so desire. At least they are very ambitious. Shame on some of you. Remember, Canada is a free country.

Posted by: onemansthoughts on April 15 2014 4:09 PM
We have always been proud of Canada being made up of all races. At least thats the way I have understood it. So why in heck cant all races work here??? This is where the union
kind of sucks. Its true, our own people dont do as well. Most the young ones live at home and dont do work. I say let all be able to work in Canada if they so desire. At least they are very ambitious. Shame on some of you. Remember, Canada is a free country.

————

I think you missed the point. Canadians should be offered the work first. Only when we can’t find qualified Canadians should we be offering work to non-Canadians.

Ain’t no shame in that.

axman: Or thoroughly fed up with trying to employ decent hardworking Canadians. Seems like most of those are already working. Its tough trying to get good help, just ask any employer. I went through ten employees, only two of them would I keep. I finally gave up. The others were just costing me too much money.
For unskilled jobs in the Philippines, once a worker hits 25-27 they are generally too old to be hired. Employers would rather have younger employees, that’s why when Filipinoes come here, they are such good workers for the most part, they’ve been given a second chance in life.
I would safely bet that about 80% of our young people would never make it in any third world or developing country. They haven’t been taught to work and don’t have the gumption to do a lot for very little pay or do more than is expected just for the job satisfaction.

Canadians should be offered work first. All Canadians of all races , how about some training for them ?? the cost to get training is unreal and lots of Canadians can’t afford it, give Canadians a chance to get qualified. Lots of young people want to work and they are hard workers given the chance. As far as Dick Harris is concerned ,I have to wonder if he even lives here? We made a appointment with him he canceled ,we asked to rebook and was never called back.

By the way don’t forget to pay your taxes this year so the government can give it to people that don’t work at all

Give our young people a chance stop knocking them down. Sometimes in some situations the Canadian is the odd man out. If it keeps up there is going to be more women than men in Canada , there are a lot of women coming from the Philippines, there must be a shortage of women over there. Could it be about employers wanting cheap labour and wanting total control. Thats why unions came into the picture in the first place. Lets tell it like it is. Canadians need a chance in life.

renslip: I guess that includes the haves

The haves??

have not

Posted by: Give more on April 15 2014 5:46 PM
axman: Or thoroughly fed up with trying to employ decent hardworking Canadians. Seems like most of those are already working. Its tough trying to get good help, just ask any employer. I went through ten employees, only two of them would I keep. I finally gave up. The others were just costing me too much money.

———–

I hear you there. Unfortunately the sense of entitlement that has been fostered in the past couple of generations is coming back to bite us in the ass.

Some of my students at Timmy’s say 6 temporary Foreign Filipinos were just hired and are being paid 3.00 per hour more than my students. My students are conscientious and hard working kids who need these jobs .

There are approx. 2.7 million Canadians living and working around the world, in places like the US, UK, Poland, Middle East, etc; etc; etc;.

If you think a few foreign workers here causes you some problems, what do you think the problem would be like if all these Canadians came home to work???

I see a number of posters use the term foreign worker rather loosely. We were all foreign at one time, so lets cut these people some slack.

Many, many Canadians work in the US under dubious conditions, especially in the entertainment, acting business. So lets get off our high horses.

Simply put. The problems of Canada to-day, can be laid at the feet of.

1. Big Government
2 Big Business
3. Big Unions.

These three entities are in the process of pricing us out of the world market. The closure of the Mines in Tumbler ridge is just the tip of the ice burg.

We cannot afford anymore of these high rollers, who are overpaid, underworked, and production challenged. They are like lamp rays on the belly of a shark. Get enough of them sucking the sharks blood and it dies.

Hmmmmmmmm.

We’ll put

Dick Harris ,I believe, lives in Kelowna. Too good for PG……you all have rocks in your heads for voting for Harper. He said in 5 years we wont recognize Canada. He’s right…..we will be like Great Britain…..huge welfare rolls to pay for unemployed and untrained workers who list their jobs to foreign workers. In BC…Clark and your local mla’s are just little lap dogs for the corporatations. Harper will steal your “democracy” via the elections act revision he is trying to grab. Remember how he prorogued Parliament so his fat ass wouldnt be thrown out??? It’s time to be very vigilant and informed…..40% of Canadians have tuned out of voting….the tax laws favour rich and so the little guy thinks his vote won’t amount to much. Look at the results……our country and sovereignty is being sold off and Joe Average does not matter.

So Tim Hortons what is going on ?? Taxpayer Teacher is right I have noticed a lot of new faces from the Filipinos in timmys and other places like Costcos in the food areas. Who woulden’t want to work there ?? I am just sick of people running down our young people and praising workers from other countries. When its all about money and power.

The foreign worker program is broken, but it does have its place.

In the case of corporations bypassing Canadian union halls to bring in foreign workers… that is not the place for the foreign worker program. I know of two currently unemployed crane operators and both are hard workers that spend weeks away from their families when they have the work. If a job is available it should be offered to Canadians first, and then only once the job is vacant with no prospects of a potential Canadian employee should the employer be allowed to look to foreign workers. That is supposed to be the law, but for these big corporations the law means less and less these days under the Harper and Clark globalization governments.

On the other hand we have situations like for example the A&W in Vanderhoof that only has three employees, but needs at least a dozen to operate full hours… so its always closed other than a few hours in the afternoon. They would like to run a morning shift, maybe an evening shift, and even a night shift if they could. Word is they are looking at foreign workers to fill the gap so they can operate normal hours.

A place like Vanderhoof simply has more jobs than they have people to fill them. They will soon have a new pool coming on line, the Nechako Outdoors recently opened their new store, and the fast food outlets are all short workers. So in all likelihood they fit the definition of a need for foreign workers. It would be great to be able to buy a burger there after 6pm when driving through town….

So each situation is unique. The problem is in the administration of the labor market surveys and the bureaucrats that administer when a need is legitimate, and when it is simply a way around employing workers at a Canadian standard.

The solution is if we are going to have foreign workers then they need to have more rights and a clear pathway to eventual citizenship. They need to have the right to leave an employer for a similar job elsewhere if they are mistreated and abused, or the right to join a Canadian union… and they need to go through a program before ever working a day in Canada to let them know what their Canadian rights are. It should go without saying that they should also be paid the going Canadian rate… using foreign workers to cut the payroll expense, or as a form of modern labor slavery should not be acceptable at all.

Foreign workers should be viewed as future Canadians and accorded the dignity of a future Canadian, and as it is now that is not the case.

If it wasn’t for foreign workers, who would get me my Timmies coffee in the morning?

Good post Palopu.

The employers of the fast food joints say that foreign workers actually appreciate their jobs and have a better work ethic, unlike their Canadian counterparts. Hmm.

I make my own coffee and take it to work. It’s called the “Latte Factor”. A study done shows a lot of people spend 1500.00 per year each on coffees and junk fast food. My kids startrd the “Timmies” habit at university. I took a fluorescent pen to highlight their “Timmies” debits on bank card and told them I could not afford this……when they realized what they were spending and how much….they quit and packed a thermos. All this junk food blicks arteries and makes you gain weight.

My cousin managed a Seafood restaurant in Surry. She couldn’t find any Canadians to work. When she did they would alwasy complain, do I have to work that shift, call in sick all the time or not show up at all. So she turned to foreign workers and solved the problem.

Pat Bell’s role in the above article should be thoroughly investigated. If he has a job the tax payer should not have to pay him 18 months of wages from his former govt position. Those wage benefits should be terminated due to his employment with Conifex. Joe Public cannot collect UIC when he gets a job….former politicians should not be allowed to double dip.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the perfect source of slave labour for international corporations operating in Canada. Imagine a totally compliant work force who will always say YES to work hours in the middle of the night, or during family statutory holidays.

Remember, Temporary Foreign Worker’s do not have families here, because they are shipped overseas to here without them. Remember, Temporary Foreign Workers are not allowed to say “no” to work hours, “no” to working in the middle of the night, “no” to working on weekends, “no” to working during stat holidays or “no” to working consecutive double shifts… why? Because if they complain, or dare say “no”, they would be shipped back to their countries in the blink of an eye, under this program.

Ahhh… The Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the perfect source of compliant slave labour for our corporate overlords! Welcome to a world run by corporations and business, where they have all the government God given rights to exploit workers, and workers have no rights!

Anyone want to stand up for workers rights here in Canada? Get lost… because you will be replaced by people who have had no rights, who have had it way worse than you, and who are from the poorest countries in the world!

God bless the Temporary Foreign Worker Program of Canada! (Sarcasm off)!