Canada’s Employment Minister Jason Kenney was in damage control Monday (April 7) after a media report that three McDonald’s franchises in the Pacific coast city of Victoria were using temporary foreign workers under a government program, even though Canadian workers were available.
CBC journalist Kathy Tomlinson’s report included an interview with one of the Canadian workers at McDonald’s. Very quickly after the television report was aired, Minister Kenney called for an investigation, and blacklisted the franchises from the Temporary Foreign Worker program.
This is not the first time there’s been controversy about the program. A year ago, dozens of employees at Canada’s largest bank RBC were to lose their jobs to temporary foreign workers, who were in Canada to take over the work of their department.
At the time, Minister Kenney said “The rules are very clear. You cannot displace Canadians to hire people from abroad.” And the bank implemented tougher restrictions on the use of temporary foreign workers.
Canada’s largest union federation, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has complained about the way the program is used by employers, and about the conditions foreign workers find themselves in when they’re hired in Canada.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda has a report.
ListenMore information:
CBC News/Kathy Tomlinson – McDonald’s accused of favouring foreign workers – here
Employment and Social Development Canada (April 6) – labour market opion suspended – here
CBC News/Kathy Tomlinson – RBC replaces Canadian staff with foreign workers – here
Huffington Post – RBC Foreign Workers Controversy: No More Replacing Canadians, Bank Vows – here
Employment and Social Development Canada (August 2013) – Further Improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program – here
Canadian Labour Congress – How the Conservatives expanded the temporary worker pipeline – here
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