Serious Labour Shortage In Prince George

Friday, October 19, 2007 04:01 AM

For many local employers, the cartoon is too close to home to be funny

Prince George, B.C. - Prince George is experiencing a shortage of level entry workers and some employers say they are at a loss to explain why.

The companies with the largest shortage of employees are in the service and retail industry, but a shortage of skilled labour also exists in the forest industry and the pulp and paper industry.

Dean O’Connor, owner manager of McDonald’s restaurants in Prince George says it definitely is a challenge trying to get sufficient help for his chain of restaurants. “I could use 30 more people today . We have gone from three of our outlets opening 24-7 to just one because of our inability to get workers for those shifts. We even offer bonus for those shifts and it is still very difficult to get staff."

O’Connor says he can’t figure out why this is happening "I am at loss to understand why we are in that position in this city given that our population has not increased at leaps and bounds like it has in Alberta in cities like Grande Prairie, Edmonton and Calgary. Things aren’t that good here , if you look real deep you will see that while we have had an increase in retailing in this city nothing major has been happening”.

O’Connor says Alberta has been bringing in off shore workers from the Philippines, Mexico and places like that, “I hope we don’t come to that, I can’t believe we don’t have enough workers in this part of the country”.

O’Connor says he thinks one of the problems may lie in the fact there is lots of competition going after the same demographic of worker. He says there’s also been a change in the attitude of workers over the past five years "Its easy to find a job and if they don’t like it at your place they just pick up and move."

Over at Tim Horton’s, Carol Beebe echoed O’Connor’s comments. "We run about 230 to 250 staff at our five stores. We need 48 to 50 people to operate each outlet . We are always on the hunt for staff even though we offer bonuses for various shifts and bonuses for people to show up for work. " She doesn’t think things will get any better soon "I think we are heading towards Alberta in the Labour market. "

Again, the competition for the same demographic is a factor says Beebe "A call center was looking for 200 people to go to work for them, so that cuts heavily into the available workers in the market. people are working 2 jobs and going to school, they are spread very thin. In this Labour market the employee can pick and choose, they may come and work here for a day and then move. "

Is the shortage of help confined to the fast food market,? No. When we asked Sears if they could comment on whether they were operating short staffed, they referred us to their head office in Toronto. But, a call to the store to inquire if Sears was hiring brought the response, “Oh we certainly are”.

Save On Foods also referred us to the media spokesperson in Vancouver, but a quick check on Employment Canada’s site "jobbank.ca" lists them as looking for food service clerks, 10 in all, to work in the Customer Service Retail at the four locations in Prince George.

Several forums have been held in the city recently to inform people of what the future will bring. These forums are being told that the baby boomers are leaving the work force leaving a huge gap in employment and they say it will become worse.

Pulp Mills in the region continue to look for level entry positions. The more looming problem for them however has been the shortage of skilled people such as heavy duty mechanics and electricians. One human resources person said "We are really short in the skilled trades."

The Human Resources Advisor for CANFOR in Prince George, Leslie Hempsall says they have plenty of applications "We have a huge pile of people who meet our qualifications, lots of resumes to draw from bearing in mind that we are looking for people that meet our criteria and the bar is high." Hempsall says there is a different face in the applicant today "There is quite a range of people 50 to 55 looking for jobs ,today people have more then one career . We are even finding that people who are retiring coming back into the work force, it is a changing world."

The hardest hit areas for employers seems to be in the retail and service industry but all companies surveyed by Opinion250 said they are finding it much more difficult to attract employees and they say the problem is growing.

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Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 04:01 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on October 19 2007 5:55 AM

Pay them more than 8 bucks an hour and they may show up.

Posted by: acrider54 on October 19 2007 5:57 AM

BTW Dean what is the bonus you offer for the later shifts? 50 cents p/h

Posted by: owl on October 19 2007 6:19 AM

Overheard two empoyees at Shoppers talk recently (not in PG) .... $4 above minimum wage is the standard starting salary for retail clerk.

Posted by: owl on October 19 2007 6:20 AM

darned "l" key on this thing has a mind of its own...

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 6:52 AM

If you talk to people who would normally do these kinds of jobs,they will all tell you the same thing.
The wages are too damn low and there ARE better paying jobs out there.
Just ask Canfor who claim they have plenty of applicants.
They pay much more.
In a strong economy,8 bucks just doesn't cut it.
Maybe it's time these employers started sharing some of the profits with the employees who actually do the job for them?

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 6:57 AM

...and also,it isn't just the wages.
People also need and want benefits like medical and dental.
Ever try to afford having your teeth fixed without dental coverage?
And paid stat holidays,which many of these employers screw their partime employees out of!
It IS a changing world, but many employers don't seem to understand that yet.

Posted by: southfortguy on October 19 2007 7:27 AM

"Things aren�t that good here , if you look real deep you will see that while we have had an increase in retailing in this city nothing major has been happening�."

Is he serious here? Lets see...Prince Rupert Port..Inland Port..Airport expansion..increased mining activity....are these retailers..strong real estate market.....

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 19 2007 8:04 AM

Less kids in school every year = less workers.

Posted by: redneck on October 19 2007 8:21 AM

I work in the grocery industry in the area and ten years back there was a buyout.The new employees start at 8.75 an hour and work partime hours.They can only get as high as 12 dollars an hour but it takes them a minimum of 5 years to get there. We were told they didn't want career people anymore.What it was is they didn't want to pay the money and benefits anymore.The turnover is 160% right now and the workload is falling on the senior employees that didn't take the buyout as they are the only people with the experience to do the job.Now that there is no experience left this same company has started programs to make it easy for these new employees so they don't have to think for themselves.This has again increased the workload for the senior employees and there are no extra hours to do these extras as the company just can't afford it.The older employees are pissed right off as they are doing the work and the younger employees are pissed right off because they are working alongside the older employees and making less than half of the wage.I can't figure out why nobody wants to work in the retail business for this company.Maybe someone could help me understand

Posted by: pgman on October 19 2007 9:11 AM

There are quite a few retail businesses paying above minimum wage. Posters so far seem to be commenting on the wages paid, and not the work ethic of those looking. For the most part, alot pf those looking seem to want to do very little and get paid alot to do it. It this shortage, people have gotten lazier, and that does not inspire employeers to pay even more. There are places that need to hire 3 people now, that 1 person could do years ago.

Posted by: redneck on October 19 2007 10:00 AM

I have seen a lot of people come and go in the retail business.The good ones leave as they find better employment elsewhere that treats them better and pays them more and the ones you want to get rid of stay because nobody else wants them and they can't get employment anywhere else.These people you could hire ten of and they still can't/won't do the work of one.Whats the solution?

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 10:08 AM

It is all about attitude, and the attitude of the company you are working for reflects back on the workers.
If you at least make the people who work for you feel like they matter,it will come back to your business in work ethics and profits.
It isn't always the people doing the actual job,sometimes it IS the employer.
Sure,some people ARE lazy and the younger generation does seem to have an issue with this at times when it comes to work ethics, but I can understand the frustration many of them feel.
Wages and benefits ARE a big factor always.
If you can't survive and have a bit of a life of some sort on the money you are making,there isn't a lot of incentive to bust your butt.
Look at how they are paid and the hours they are allowed to put in.
Always just under the point where the employer would have to pay them for stats,benefits etc.
It's a different world now, and perhaps practices and attitudes of the past are no longer applicable.
And I don't agree that many of these bigger chain stores and larger businesses can't afford to do better for their people.
They can, but it's profits above all else to so many of them.
With the smaller businesses,it's a different story, but there are still ways of improving your bottom line even for them,and it isn't always about what you DON'T give your employees!

Posted by: Bridge on October 19 2007 10:20 AM

Maybe Mr O'connor will have to start thinking about sharing some of his windfall profits with the emplyees. Would that work?

Cheers

Posted by: beerboy on October 19 2007 11:28 AM

I have no sympathy for these large companies like pulp mills etc.This is a rich country, in Natural resourses and in people. It was only a matter of time before the World needed the things we have. Unions have been pleading with the Canfors and Huskys to get some apprentice programs for yrs. I know many people that have wanted to get going on a career in the trades.A bit of forsight might have made this Labour shortage not happen. It could have been avoided if present employees had been offered more. The way it has been is, if you were related or in the right place at the right time you might have had a chance. It,s been who yo know or how you ----.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 11:36 AM

Right on Beerboy!

Posted by: metalman on October 19 2007 11:37 AM

I think that perhaps Dean's outlook is based on what he sees in his industry, with all due respect, he does not see the entire picture. I too believe that the bottom wage rate must be raised, but raising peoples wages does not assure better performance or smarter workers.
If you simply raise the minimum wage you will simply have the same dummies, better paid. There is an entire culture shift that must be made to get away from the mindless idiot proof world in which we live. No need for common sense, that has been automated. No need for creative thinking, or critical thought, we have a computer for that. And entertainment is shovelled into your mind, no need to keep yourself interested in anything, it is all delivered to you, 24/7/365. Don't even get me started on diligence. Lastly, as I have posted before, it should be illegal to force people to work part time, and not pay them benefits. Benefits, medical dental, all the usual components of a standard union plan, should be mandatory for ALL employees, full or part time. Further more, keep the welfare to a minimum, keep the medical dental etc. that we GIVE those on the DOLE to a bare minimum. If you want better health care coverage, then go out and get a job, period.
metalman.

Posted by: Chadermando on October 19 2007 1:02 PM

I think the point is missed that it is cheaper for some to stay home then go to work.

If you have kids how can you afford $2000 a month for day care and then pay for that on an $8 dollar an hour job? It makes more sense to collect welfare and child support and sit at home raising your family. Maybe the government could be proactive in providing affordable child support for single parent families for starters.

Furthermore the price of a home has gone up 150% in three short years. Three years ago a family planned to pay off their home in 25 years, now at the same payment it will take a family nearly a hundred years. We are told we have no inflation, yet a home is near 40% of most working families costs pre-inflation. Wages have not changed at all, and so again it raises the question of whether or not work is worth it if all you get is slavery to wage labour without any hope of ever owning a home.

Government policy is to insure profits to mortgage lenders for the inflationary speculation type home flipping of realtors and ponzi speculators. With a currency tied to the corrupt privatized zionist controlled US Federal Reserve interest rate (rather than gold or labour) we are bound to an economy of cheep fake money that is used to distort the actual economy favouring those on the in; and not for the middle class working family. The result is Canadians that kill their young before they are born to try and keep their lifestyle affordable in light of speculation home inflation further creating a situation of future labour shortages and shrinking Canadian families that the corporate elite wish to replace with cheep imported labour to cover for the flaws in their economic policy. Society and the middle working class pay the price for these policies and yet are powerless to do anything about it because our political system is wholly corrupted with self serving parasitic politicians that enrich their own rather than serve the public good.

Solution IMO is to tie the Canadian currency to the price of raw gold (not hedge fund gold) or labour output to control currency manipulation; limit government assisted mortgage insurance to a standard benchmark of an affordable home ceiling price; and take all funding not directly from citizens (to a maximum of $200 per citizen) out of the public electoral system (make the politicians accountable to citizens and not corporations and their unions).

Time Will Tell

Posted by: Harbinger on October 19 2007 3:09 PM

Yama... it's FEWER kids. Not less. BTW, that old adage, "serving the public sucks" rings a bell. Don't it?

Posted by: Harbinger on October 19 2007 3:12 PM

Trudeau once said, "Ya pay peanuts, ya get monkeys". Go figure.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 4:34 PM

There in lays much of the problem.
Look at the price of new homes, or even older homes for that matter.
Prices way up and wages about what they were 2 or 3 years ago.
If you buy at these crazy prices,you have a mortgage payment that is going to take almost every cent you and you spouse make!
What the point.
You don't own your house,it owns YOU!
And if you HAVE had a raise,it didn't even come close to keeping up with the increases in housing etc.
Look at the cost of renting.
It's out of control in relation to real estate prices and demand.
And there is more demand for rentals because people can't afford to buy!
Alberta is also out of control, but the wages there have gone up accordingly for the most part.
Not so for B.C.
A good example is the banks.
Look at the profits these thieves make,and then look at what they pay their employees.
It borders on criminal, but people just put up with it.
Well the time may be coming when we can't afford to work for crap anymore, and it's about time somebody figured out what to do about that.

Posted by: Palopu on October 19 2007 7:08 PM

What goes around comes around. I dont mind seeing the employers squirm a bit because they cannot get anyone to work for them. They certainly didnt give a **** when there was a surplus of workers, and jobs were hard to find. In fact they treated their employess like crap, and the phrase **If you dont like it you can leave** was used on a regular basis.

Well the worm has turned Employers are now getting an education in how to deal with people, how to deal with employees, and how to get some good manners. Gone is the brainless, hardass, supervisor, who didnt know if he was punched, bored, or kicked in with a snowshoe. If you piss off your low paid employees to-day they will in fact be gone and you will end up doing the work yourself, which for some employers and their supervisors is a new experience.

The whole situation over time is the direct result of **stupid management** and the corporate drive for the bottom line. Mixed to-gether they spelled nothing but problems in the future, but guess what. If you ever tried to tell these moron managers, or owners that they were completly wrong, they looked at you like you were a complete idiot.

Well now they have hoisted themselves on their own petard, and I will not shed a single tear for them. Personally I hope it gets worse before it gets better so that they will be able to remember these times for a long time into the future.

A safisfied, happy, hard working employee is an asset to any company. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesnt think.

Posted by: Harbinger on October 19 2007 7:08 PM

Banks have an obligation to their shareholders. Don't be cheap and whine. Buy a share in the bank. Then you may be rootin' fer them profits. Profit is such a dirty word, ain't it?

Posted by: Chester on October 20 2007 10:23 PM

Billions for the Bankers and Debts for the people. They create profit with the stroke of a pen and a bunch of gullible customers who continue to take the advice of their bankers.

The advice you receive from the bank is contrary to two profit centers, yours or theirs. Figure it out. I agree with Harbinger, buy shares in the bank and celebrate their profits with them. That is the only way to participate. Chester

Posted by: thereasonableman on October 20 2007 10:26 PM

This is all about employers having been in control for many years, taking advantage of employees.

Now they're the ones come begging, and they don't like the fit of those shoes at all.

In the skilled trades, people are making really good wages and the employers are all too happy to be paying them. They are all too happy to HAVE the employee at all.

We are hiring 20 year old kids and training them, just to have the extra hands on the job.

With opportunities like that, and considering that employers at that level are robbing each other for employees, how does an 8 buck an hour job compare ?

Posted by: Harbinger on October 20 2007 10:41 PM

Sign in Timmie's window says that their "dining room" will be closed for a stated time. Dining room? People don't "dine " on donuts. They eat them. Sheesh!!!