Low-paid foreign workers a threat to middle class jobs: AFL
Too many companies in Alberta are allowed to pay temporary foreign workers below the prevailing wage, threatening good middle class jobs, says the Alberta Federation of Labour.
Premier Jim Prentice should ask the federal government why so many companies are allowed to pay TFWs $10 an hour less than Canadians are paid for trades jobs, said president Gil McGowan.
For instance, Kiewit Energy in the oilsands, even got approval for 200 trades workers, including electricians, without indicating their hourly wage in the Labour Market Opinion on 2013, said McGowan.
“Why is the federal government approving permits with lower wages — that’s what Prentice should ask,” said McGowan, noting that many such approvals go to non-union companies.
Prentice has said that recent changes designed to reduce the number of low skilled temporary foreign workers program are harming Alberta business and that’s the issue he will raise soon with federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney.
The wage data for more than 2,000 companies comes from federal documents released to the AFL in a freedom of information request.
In Edmonton, Supreme International Welders was approved for 28 TFW welders at $19.25 an hour — more than $10 below the prevailing Canadian wage of $30 an hour for that skilled trade.
The half-dozen cases in Edmonton included California Closets with approval to pay a foreign carpenter $19 an hour, $7 less than the prevailing wage.
In Fort McMurray, Samjin Industrial, a subsidiary of the Korean National Oil Company, brought in 60 welders at $30 an hour, a wage that is $8 an hour below the prevailing wage.
There’s a growing problem in the oilsands where state-owned companies like Samjin and China’s Sinopec are simply transferring their foreign workforce to Alberta and they don’t need an LMO, he said.
“These companies are bringing workers with them — how on Earth is that in the interest of Canadians?” asked McGowan.
“The TFW program suppressed wages in the fast food industry and now the same is happening to skilled trade jobs that are the backbone of the middle class,” said McGowan.
“The premier should be taking the side of working Albertans who have bills to pay and kids to raise,” he said.
McGowan proposed two changes to protect skilled workers.
Every company that wants to bring in skilled trades people should have to show they have an apprenticeship program before they are allowed to bring in TFWs.
Second, any company paying less than the prevailing wage should be banned from using the program, said McGowan.