The controversy of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has come to Innisfail with local restaurateurs forced to face worker shortages without access to the troubled government program.
Mark Kemball, Innisfail's Dairy Queen owner/franchisee, had an application ready to be filed to the federal government for four temporary foreign workers (TFWs) but his request was put on hold.
“Over the years, I have only had one foreign worker and she had permanent resident status. As of now, I have no foreign workers,” said Kemball. “Presently I have close to 40 employees, but needed four more but with my application gone now I will have to look at alternative measures.”
Kemball added he has employed hundreds of high school students and young adults over the years but has still needed extra help.
“I have been in good shape but some of my colleagues have had to use foreign workers quite heavily, which has allowed them to stay open,” added Kemball. “The present program allows up to 30 per cent foreign workers and if the proposed changes go ahead, that will be 10 per cent in 2016, which will cause severe hardship for some.”
He noted that business owners are upset over the proposed changes, which have turned the issue into a political hot potato.
“Was the system perfect?” asked Kemball. “No, it was not, but it did probably need changing. The majority of employers used TFWs responsibly but for the sake of a few companies, everyone else has to pay for their transgressions.”
The present federal program requires potential employers to move through four steps to hire TFWs, including determining if the business requires a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), applying for a LMIA, contacting the potential foreign worker, and then having Canada Border Services Agency issue a TFW work permit.
The federal government announced its official overhaul of the TFWP on June 20.
Changes to the program include raising fees to $1,000 for a LMIA, gradually decreasing the percentage of allowed TFWs to 10 per cent, requiring employers to pay workers at the same prevailing wage as non-foreign workers, identification of English and French as the only languages for job requirement, identifying TFWs as either skilled or not-skilled, decreasing the duration of work permits to one year instead of two, and increasing diligence to LMIA applications to ensure the TFWP is not used to facilitate outsourcing of Canadian jobs.
However, with those changes, Kemball said he feels the government is not looking at the situation from a small business perspective.
“There is already a process to have your request for a foreign worker approved,” said Kemball.
And there are long-term implications for employers that have Marc Caira, chief executive officer for Tim Hortons, publicly claiming that “several thousand” businesses would be forced to close down if the TFWP overhaul is part of the program's phase out by the federal government.
According to government sources, temporary foreign workers must move back to the country of their origin once their work permits have expired, unless they have applied for a visitor visa.
In the meantime, the premiers of Canada's western provinces have been united in their lobbying of the federal government to be “responsive to the diverse needs of Canadian jurisdictions.”
When the local Tim Hortons franchise, owned by Archie Jacobs, was contacted, manager Warren Ritz referred the Innisfail Province to corporate communications personnel, who in turn referred to the company website for comments on the issue. The website stated that Tim Hortons “applauds the government's steps to strengthen the TFWP.”
The issue of foreign workers is also in the crosshairs of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, which has issued several policy statements and sent out a temporary foreign worker survey since the April 24 program moratorium in food services.
“We agree with the position of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce,” said Doug Bos, president of the Innisfail and District Chamber of Commerce. “From an advocate perspective, we want to see the TFWP reinstated, and want to see measures to reward businesses and sectors who adhere to the program, while those who abuse the system should be penalized.”
Bos noted the restaurant industry has been hard hit with Alberta's high employment rate, adding TFWs have been essential to maintain service.
“Even at the zoo we have a hard time keeping concession workers,” said Bos. “We were one of the first businesses in Innisfail to hire a foreign worker 12 years ago as a bear trainer. Fortunately, we were able to hire her full-time once she got her Canadian citizenship.”
He added the potential exemption the federal government is discussing for restaurant industry employers in low unemployment areas (less than six per cent) will help the situation.
More information on the program can be found at http://www.esdc.gc.ca
