Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada

[complexintentions]

Given the controversy raging around the use of TFW's in Canada, obviously in our industry with CanJet and Sunwing, and more recently with Royal Bank, I thought some might be interested to see just how widespread the use of non-Canadian workers is. The link is to a file that lists all of the employers in Canada currently using TFW's. Interesting reading, the file is about 10mb. Link to download pdf file:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/?y6bfdcew6p9q4lk


I apologize for the lack of ability to search the document, I didn't create it.

This is globalization at its "finest", folks.

Interesting conversation with a Hungarian colleague, who has many former colleagues flying at Travel Services, that lent some insight into the whole Sunwing/CanJet/Travel Services situation. Travel Services has (had?) both Czech and Hungarian basings. When the Sunwing/CanJet contracts came up, the pilots were forced to give up their basings, ordered to take the Canadian jobs at risk of being fired. Most of the pilots had no interest in uprooting for six months and relocating to Canada. However, such actions, while legal in the Czech Republic, are illegal under labour law in Hungary. So Travel Services simply based their Hungarian pilots in Prague to get around that inconvenience.

There was also some controversy about pilots failing their PPC's in Canada. It turns out, this was done on purpose by pilots, because failing a PPC would disqualify one from an overseas basing. Once the company caught wind of this tactic, failing a PPC became a dismissable offence. Problem solved.

Also, according to the actual pilots, Travel Services is NOT paying the contracted amount to the pilots being paid by Sunwing/Canjet to Travel Services. Travel Services has their fingers in the pie.

Let's recap.

Canadian companies are using foreign labour, through an unscrupulous company exploiting their own employees, to save costs. Meanwhile, companies not employing these tactics had to lay off pilots, who were deemed not qualified to fill these jobs. And now all companies will have to use such tactics to compete.

All I can say is, do not judge the actual foreign pilots for flying in Canada. They don't want to be there, they aren't getting rich - they do not receive the salaried amount advertised in the contract - and are being screwed every bit as much as the Canadian pilots disadvantaged by these companies.

[Jean-Luc Monette]

Wow! Thanks for that enlightening bit of info, complexintentions.



BTW, it never was about the individuals;

All I can say is, do not judge the actual foreign pilots for flying in Canada. They don't want to be there, they aren't getting rich - they do not receive the salaried amount advertised in the contract - and are being screwed every bit as much as the Canadian pilots disadvantaged by these companies.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

BTW, it never was about the individuals;

Agreed. This is not against the foreign crews themselves, not is it against the Sunwing or Canjet crews.

[rudder]

Well, with the PMO now taking public positions on the matter it would appear that change is coming....


Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has concerns about the growing use of temporary foreign workers in Canada.

Harper says the reality is that some employers need to bring in outside workers to fill jobs.

But he says foreign workers should only be filling spots temporarily in fields where there are “absolute and acute” labour shortages.

Harper says reforms are being drafted to ensure the program is being used only for that purpose.

Speaking to reporters in Calgary, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government will bring in a series of reforms “in very short order” to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure there are no more abuses.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/12 ... rm-system/

[Gilles Hudicourt]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... 82/?page=2

[rudder]

Mr. Harper said employers need to know the program has limits. “I think it is important for Canadians and all businesses to understand that the purpose of this program is to provide temporary help in cases where there are absolute and acute labour shortages,” he said. “It does not have broader purposes than that.”

[Gilles Hudicourt]

House of Commons, May 1 Debates

Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, almost a year and a half ago, I wrote to the Minister of Human Resources to alert her that foreign pilots were being used under the temporary foreign worker program to displace Canadian pilots in the off-season. This practice denies Canadian pilots jobs and prevents them from accumulating the flight hours they need to qualify them to fly larger planes.
I never received an answer to my letter. Can the minister take this opportunity to assure Canadian pilots that this practice is now over and that their career opportunities will no longer be constrained by misuse of the temporary foreign worker program?

Hon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, we are indeed concerned about the situation regarding temporary foreign workers. That is why we announced new reforms to the program.
Beyond that, in terms of the airlines, we have been working with the airlines and with the pilots associations to make sure that they make every effort to recruit Canadians and to develop Canadians with the skills required for those jobs so that Canadians always get first interest on every job that is available.

Are we going to take Mrs Finley's word for it, or are Canadian pilots only to be getting first shot at these jobs, as in the past, on the condition that they are Type-Rated and Current on the Boeing 737NG and have 500 hours on type ?

[rudder]

Hon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, we are indeed concerned about the situation regarding temporary foreign workers. That is why we announced new reforms to the program.
Beyond that, in terms of the airlines, we have been working with the airlines and with the pilots associations to make sure that they make every effort to recruit Canadians and to develop Canadians with the skills required for those jobs so that Canadians always get first interest on every job that is available.

Are we going to take Mrs Finley's word for it, or are Canadian pilots only to be getting first shot at these jobs, as in the past, on the condition that they are Type-Rated and Current on the Boeing 737NG and have 500 hours on type ?

Gilles,

Unfortunately the government is representing a 'partnership' with the pilot associations on the matter based on discussions yet acted unilaterally in assigning the 25% ratio to the TFWP matter. ALPA wanted a much higher number. ALPA's interpretation is that the 25% is recalculated with each batch of TFWP applications so that over time the number of permanent positions should increase and the number of TFWP positions will decrease.

Of greater concern is guidance on wet-lease and reciprocity metrics. Still no statements that demonstrate that the rules have been clarified or explained in a manner that will ensure that they can be measured and enforced.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

ALPA's interpretation is that the 25% is recalculated with each batch of TFWP applications so that over time the number of permanent positions should increase and the number of TFWP positions will decrease.

That is ALPA's position. What if Sunwing states that it expanded its permanent fleet from 10 to 14 aircraft and will boost its winter fleet from 29 to 34 aircraft, can it not press the case to HRSDC for needing more TFW pilots next year ?
They will also make an application under reciprocity and will probably ask for 200 foreign pilots under that program, since this summer, all of Sunwing's Canadian pilots will spend "some" time in Europe, on Sunwing wet-leases.

Then after obtaining foreign reciprocal pilots in exchange for those wet-leases to Europe, they will also apply to the CTA to import more foreign pilots on wet-leases.

[North Shore]

Well, with the PMO now taking public positions on the matter it would appear that change is coming....


Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has concerns about the growing use of temporary foreign workers in Canada.

Harper says the reality is that some employers need to bring in outside workers to fill jobs.

But he says foreign workers should only be filling spots temporarily in fields where there are “absolute and acute” labour shortages.

Harper says reforms are being drafted to ensure the program is being used only for that purpose.

Speaking to reporters in Calgary, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government will bring in a series of reforms “in very short order” to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure there are no more abuses.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/12 ... rm-system/

Call me cynical if you wish, but:

Politics: Where they slap you on the back so they know where to aim the knife...

[spm]

http://www.pilotcareercentre.com/Air-Ca ... g+Airlines

Pilot career centre states Sunwing will operate 40 aircraft during the 2013/14 winter. Does anyone know if this is accurate?

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Even with as little as 12 pilots per aircraft during the peak season, when everyone is flying their buns off, 40 aircraft represents at least 480 pilots.

Sunwing now employs between 200 and 220. Where are the other 260 to 280 pilots going to come from ?

Reciprocity ?