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LiUNA wants the IMP program removed from the construction industry entirely.
commonly earn. “That makes it quite easy for this employer to pass this LMIA and show the government that there is limited to no interest in their job posting.” Including apprentice wages in the calculation severely drives down the rates employers offer when advertising for workers. “It is a significant difference. Our entry level apprentice rate across the province is at 55 per cent of the certified journeyperson rate.” Increasing the median wage companies offer workers in Canada when they advertise on jobbank.gc.ca is critical to improving the process, Carlow said. “In carpentry, it went from $26 to $28 an hour, but I cannot think of one journeyperson carpenter who would take a job for that rate without any of the fringe benefits that are commonplace in the industry. That is roughly $8-an-hour less (hourly base rate) than our provincial standard for a certified journeyperson.” Fair wage rates for British Columbians have already been set through fair, publicly available contracts unions have negotiated with employers. “Union collective agreements should be used in the consideration of prevailing wages,” said Bourke. “It is very clear that labour unions and their contractors have negotiated what they feel are fair deals that are representative of the costs of performing that work,” Bourke said. “So these collective agreements should be the standard of what prevailing wages are considered to be the cost of performing that work.” In addition, Bourke said there are no organizations better qualified than unions to say whether labour shortages exist in their sectors, so governments should turn to them for that expert advice. “Are Canadians or British Columbians available to do that work? If they are, then that TFW application should be denied.” story continued on next page
“With the TFW program, we can lobby for certain changes. If they don’t make the changes, we should get rid of both.” Proposed changes Ottawa announced to the TFWP program in late July “were woefully short of what is needed,” said Olsen. The biggest problem was that the federal Liberals totally ignored the IMP. “So, construction employers will now turn away even more from the TFWP and access foreign workers through the IMP, which does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The proposed changes to the TFWP will lead to even more abuse of foreign workers under the IMP, and that’s likely to be an election issue. “In our opinion, the TFWP and the IMP are the biggest issues facing both Canadian and foreign workers in Canada and changes must be made.” Key problems with the new proposals include: • Companies will not be required to inform temporary foreign workers that they have a right to join a Canadian union. • The changes fail to ensure that the prevailing wage rate used by the government under the program accurately reflects the marketplace. • The changes fail to include a public registry of employers who violate the TFWP and a provision that they should be banned from bidding on any government-related contract. Matt Carlow, a representative for the B.C. Regional Council of Carpenters, says his biggest immediate concern is the way LMIA can be manipulated to drive down wages, and discourage B.C. workers from taking work. Employers advertising jobs use the wages of carpenters and apprentices to calculate the median wage, then advertise the jobs at wage rates lower than Canadians
OPERATIVE PLASTERERS' AND CEMENTMASONS' INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION LOCAL 919
Objectives:
Encourage a high standard of skill among themembers Provide the trade with competent workers Obtain andmaintain a fair standard of wages Assist members in obtaining employment
Protect the jurisdiction of the trade Organize those working in our craft Advance themoral, intellectual, social, & financial condition of our members
Craftsmanship. Prosperity. Responsibility.
12309 Industrial Road Surrey, BC
604.585.9198 1.800.298.6344
Roy Bizzutto, Business Manager & Secretary-Treasurer
tradetalk BC Building Trades | 9
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