Temporary Foreign Workers
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association urge the Province of Alberta to work with the Federal Minister of Economic and Social Development and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to develop a short and long term strategy in relation to the temporary foreign workers program/immigration that addresses the unique labour market needs of Alberta’s economy and explores such strategies including protection of temporary foreign workers from abuse, exploitation and neglect, and pathway to citizenship.
WHEREAS economic growth and community prosperity relies on the ability of small, medium and large businesses to access the necessary skilled labour force;
WHEREAS this program is only possible because Canada is full of opportunity and is a desirable place to build a better life for foreign workers and their families;
WHEREAS the unique needs of Alberta’s strong economic means that the demands for labour in our communities requires the support of programs like the temporary foreign workers program;
WHEREAS private sector entrepreneurs are questioning future capital investments, business expansions and current operations because they are uncertain of their ability to access the necessary workforce;
WHEREAS all workers in Canada deserve a safe and respectful work environment and abuses to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program should not be tolerated;
WHEREAS Canadians should have first access to jobs in Canada and the Government of Canada and provincial governments should continue to develop a national labour mobility strategy that encourages and facilitates Canadians to fill jobs;
WHEREAS the Alberta mid-sized cities caucus has expressed its concerns about changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its impact on the economy in a letter to the provincial and federal governments at their meeting in May 2014;
WHEREAS the Canadian economy is diverse and programs must be built that recognizes the unique needs of provinces and economic sectors;
WHEREAS the federal government has introduced changes to the temporary foreign workers program on June 20, 2014 that were designed to increase accountability but have also detrimentally affected the ability of employers to access the program;
WHEREAS the goal of changes to the temporary foreign workers program should be to increase accountability, decrease abuse and ensure access to a workforce that Canadian small, medium and large businesses need, not decrease the number of applications;
WHEREAS changes in the temporary foreign workers program leads to uncertainty for those in the program and can cause undue stress to people and their families; and
WHEREAS changes in the temporary foreign worker program must align with the goals and objectives of the overall Canadian immigration system ensuring that the investment in training and settlement of temporary foreign workers I leveraged and not lost.
In the spring of 2014 the Government of Canada issued a moratorium for the on the Food Services Sector's access to the temporary foreign worker program after it was revealed that there were many instances of employers abusing the program. The moratorium had an immediate impact on businesses in Alberta where the unemployment rate is very low and the demand for a skilled labour force is high.
In response to the moratorium the Alberta mid-sized cities jointly signed a letter on May 26, 2014 asking for the federal government to reinstate the temporary foreign workers program due to its effect on the local economy and to make changes to the program to ensure workers in the program are fairly treated. On June 20, 2014 the Federal Government announced changes to the entire temporary foreign worker program (http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=advSrch&crtr.mnthndVI=9&crtr.mnthStrtVI=I&crtr.dyndVI=19) that have improved the accountability of the program and protection of workers but at the same time decreased the ability of businesses to access the labour force they need to continue to operate or build their businesses.
The GOA priority has been, and always will be, that Canadians are hired first. We acknowledge the difficulty some employers have in finding Canadians to fill jobs; however, TFWs are not meant to replace Albertans or to fill permanent jobs. Our government supports changes that increase enforcement and penalties to ensure more stringent compliance of the TFW program. We will continue to work with the federal government on immigration and advocate for labour force strategies that respond to market demands and ensure Alberta has the workers we need to drive our economy.
In February 2016, the federal government announced that it would conduct a full-scale review of the TFW Program. The review, conducted by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA), began on May 11, 2016.
AUMA's submission called for action to improve the timeliness of the application process; clarify how employers can adequately demonstrate an inability to hire a Canadian worker; give provinces the flexibility to modify program parameters to allow for regional approaches; adopt policies to support the integration and long-term settlement of TFWs; and ensure enforcement mechanisms are in place to protect TFWs from abusive practices.
The results of the review were released in winter 2016 and the federal government responded to the review's findings in early 2017. As part of Budget 2017, the Government of Canada invested $279.8 million over five years, starting in 2017–18, and $49.8 million per year thereafter, to support the continued delivery and improvement of the TFW and the International Mobility Programs. These funds will be used to: