Kenney says you can't get EI if you turndown work.

[eyeball]

Smokescreen.

The Conservatives want to bring in Hundreds of thousands of Asian workers into alberta use Foreign Temp Agencies.

This is Kennys Mandate.

If I want a Conservative to misrepresent EI and how it works.. we always have Diane Finley.. she never has a clue.

One of the larger resorts in my region advertised year round for people seeking year round employment. My wife was quite qualified for all of the positions offered and submitted resumes a few times but never once got a call even though the advertisement for workers remained posted in the paper and job bank. A worker at the bank finally told my wife to not bother with the resort because they were only advertising positions for a the time required to qualify for an immigration program. Apparently they would then be allowed to bring people in from other countries under two year contracts and presumably for less wages.

I'm assuming resumes were vetted and applicants deemed either under-qualified or over-qualified thereby leaving the poor resort (actually it's worth millions) no other option than to apply to the ministry of immigration and employment to help facilitate the contracts with immigrant workers.

Please recall that this is in a region where the same government that allows this also pushed our fishing and logging communities to the brink of extinction. I guess I could also point out the local native communities where unemployment remains high, almost as high as the number of opportunities the government gave them to fish and log.

Anyone else detecting a pattern here? EI is more like compensation for years of economic maltreatment at the hands of our dear government than insurance.

Relocate? Where to exactly and what about our house and property and the 35 year old root system we've planted in our community? Should we just pack it all in for a Winnebago and move to Wally World or pack it full of amex and go visit Ottawa?

[The_Squid]

....they were only advertising positions for a the time required to qualify for an immigration program. Apparently they would then be allowed to bring people in from other countries under two year contracts and presumably for less wages.

This is worse than any EI fraud that the average person perpetuates.

There shouldn't be a "foreign worker" program. The government should be doing everything in their power to eliminate it, not expand it, and certainly not reward fraudulent companies that just want to pay less to workers.

[madmax]

There shouldn't be a "foreign worker" program. The government should be doing everything in their power to eliminate it, not expand it, and certainly not reward fraudulent companies that just want to pay less to workers.

As I have said. This is a smoke screen. The Conservatives want to bring in Hundreds of Thousands of workers from foreign countries (like China) through temp agencies.. particularly to go into Western Provinces...

[MiddleClassCentrist]

There shouldn't be a "foreign worker" program. The government should be doing everything in their power to eliminate it, not expand it, and certainly not reward fraudulent companies that just want to pay less to workers.

You are forgetting that fraud convictions are seen as an asset when working for the Conservative party.

[CPCFTW]

As I have said. This is a smoke screen. The Conservatives want to bring in Hundreds of Thousands of workers from foreign countries (like China) through temp agencies.. particularly to go into Western Provinces...

Don't be a fool! You're falling for the real smokescreen. The conservatives want to make us think that they are doing this to bring in Chinese temp workers, so that we will be distracted from their real intentions... To kill and harvest the organs of the poor as delicacies to eat!

[TimG]

Apparently they would then be allowed to bring people in from other countries under two year contracts and presumably for less wages.

Nonsense. Companies would not turn down local workers if the issue was simply a question of wages or contract terms. They would offer what they are willing to offer. Your anecdote makes no sense.

Relocate? Where to exactly and what about our house and property and the 35 year old root system we've planted in our community?

Stay in your community if you want but don't expect the government to pay you for your lifestyle choice.

[punked]

Nonsense. Companies would not turn down local workers if the issue was simply a question of wages or contract terms. They would offer what they are willing to offer. Your anecdote makes no sense.

Stay in your community if you want but don't expect the government to pay you for your lifestyle choice.

Get with the program. Companies aren't looking out for us they are looking out for their bottom line.

[capricorn]

Companies aren't looking out for us they are looking out for their bottom line.

If they didn't, they'd go tits up. How would that help provide jobs?

[Boges]

Get with the program.

What program, the program that says the government is the only thing that can possibly save us from ourselves?

[punked]

If they didn't, they'd go tits up. How would that help provide jobs?

This is where the problem lies. Hire Canadians to cut down trees, who when asked to do things that go against the labor code complain who can and will unionize, and who can quite when things are to tough for them. Hire foreign workers who you give shelter to close to the job site (usually in a rural area where there is nothing around) charge them for their room and board so you end up paying them very little and you can abuse them. It is much cheaper and easier to rip off a foreign worker then a Canadian one. So you "create" job descriptions that can't be filled. In the US it is so bad now that the illegals aren't coming in they are making their inmates do the slave labor.

http://halifax.openfile.ca/halifax/text/foreign-workers-abused-nova-scotia

[punked]

What program, the program that says the government is the only thing that can possibly save us from ourselves?

What are you talking about?

[Boges]

What are you talking about?

You said "Get with the Program"

What program are we supposed to get with?

[punked]

You said "Get with the Program"

What program are we supposed to get with?

It was assertion companies aren't pushing Canadians out of jobs to hire foreign workers because it is easier to pay them less and have labor code violations with them being reported.

[Boges]

It was assertion companies aren't pushing Canadians out of jobs to hire foreign workers because it is easier to pay them less and have labor code violations with them being reported.

I think there's evidence to support that many jobs have been "outsourced" to other countries because it can be done for a lower wage. But those are jobs are usually in telecommunications and manufacturing.

But are you saying that companies are bringing in foreign workers are being shipped in to do jobs that Canadians could easily do? You'd have to give some examples for that.

The basis of this thread is that Canadians are more willing to accept a government cheque than do the jobs that foreign workers are doing.

[TimG]

Get with the program. Companies aren't looking out for us they are looking out for their bottom line.

Companies are also rational. The story claimed that jobs were not offered to local workers under any terms. That is nonsense. Any sensible company would attempt to hire people on terms that it likes before going through the the hassles of getting imported workers. That tells me there are important details being left out of the original story.

[eyeball]

Companies are also rational. The story claimed that jobs were not offered to local workers under any terms. That is nonsense. Any sensible company would attempt to hire people on terms that it likes before going through the the hassles of getting imported workers. That tells me there are important details being left out of the original story.

The main issue appears to be the high cost of renting and scarce availability of housing for seasonal workers resulting in a high turnover just when the resort needed people. Local residents likewise leave for the first opportunity that paid a higher wage or offered more full time work. The resort used to lay off much of their staff including locals during the slow times and come the next season it would be faced with having to find and train new workers that are always on the move and round and round it went.

A sensible company might attempt what you're suggesting but what about a desperate one? Just like their seasonal employees employers also face a sharp downturn in revenue/income between seasons. Why it should be any surprise they would do whatever it takes to get them through the lean times like hire cheaper employees and use the differential to pay for staff housing? Whatever the details the fact remains local residents were eschewed in favour of imported workers and the former were forced to relocate which is to say become immigrants in their own country.

We used to have a far wider economic base that's been pretty much mismanaged into oblivion and yet could just as easily be turned around if only the damned government would let us manage more of it ourselves.

Oh well, ironically it used to be that unemployment insurance in the case of fishing and farming communities was considered vital to our country's food security - so Canadians wouldn't have to rely on imported food. In a similar security minded vein I would suggest, especially to those who are terrified of immigrants, that EI is perhaps more vital to their interests than they're allowing for.

Edited April 21, 2012 by eyeball

[madmax]

But are you saying that companies are bringing in foreign workers are being shipped in to do jobs that Canadians could easily do? You'd have to give some examples for that.

http://www.680news.com/news/national/article/105732--dealing-with-chinese-company-behind-delay-in-alberta-dead-oilsands-workers-case

Dealing with Chinese company behind delay in Alberta dead oilsands workers case

John Cotter, The Canadian Press

More Sharing Services

EDMONTON - Alberta says the complexity of dealing with a Chinese state-owned corporation is behind the long delay in prosecuting companies charged in the deaths of two oilsands workers

Genboa Ge and Hongliang Lui, both temporary foreign workers, died on April 24, 2007, when the oil tank they were working on near Fort McMurray collapsed. Other workers were injured.

Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company Ltd., SSEC Canada Ltd., and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (TSX:CNQ) face 53 charges in the deaths under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act

[madmax]

But are you saying that companies are bringing in foreign workers are being shipped in to do jobs that Canadians could easily do? You'd have to give some examples for that.

If you want an Ontario Example..

Ski Resorts use Migrant Workers for basic labour. Many Unemployed wanted these jobs vs EI.. and many people don't collect EI in the first place and they still would like to work.

[madmax]

It was assertion companies aren't pushing Canadians out of jobs to hire foreign workers because it is easier to pay them less and have labor code violations with them being reported.

As far I a know. A company only has to post and add in Service Canada Job bank for 2weeks before they can say they can't locate "qualified" help.

The Government has since built this flashy site for Foreign Workers and Employers.

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/home-eng.do?lang=eng

While some people don't know its easier to land a job in an Ontario Mine up North by living in Southern Ontario because that is where the companies recruit and bus from. Busses leave Southern Ontario regularly.

People Do know that Alberta Companies recruit non stop in Ontario and NFLD.

Often having to fly people back and forth every 2 to 12 weeks.

My friend was being flown in from Ontario for a $15 hour job that no one in Alberta wanted.

He worked 2 weeks there and 2 weeks in Ontario and did this for 2 years.

It has since been filled with foreign contractors.

[punked]

As far I a know. A company only has to post and add in Service Canada Job bank for 2weeks before they can say they can't locate "qualified" help.

The Government has since built this flashy site for Foreign Workers and Employers.

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/home-eng.do?lang=eng

While some people don't know its easier to land a job in an Ontario Mine up North by living in Southern Ontario because that is where the companies recruit and bus from. Busses leave Southern Ontario regularly.

People Do know that Alberta Companies recruit non stop in Ontario and NFLD.

Often having to fly people back and forth every 2 to 12 weeks.

My friend was being flown in from Ontario for a $15 hour job that no one in Alberta wanted.

He worked 2 weeks there and 2 weeks in Ontario and did this for 2 years.

It has since been filled with foreign contractors.

The government really is putting the push on from the wrong end. Often it is the companies who don't want Canadians, not Canadians who don't want to work. This is more window dressing that fails to address a problem.

[Battletoads]

In the examples given, you have areas of high unemployment where people are turning down work and employers have to hire abroad. That practice should stop.

I'm sure if the jobs offered reasonable benefits and wages Canadians wouldn't be turning them down.

[Army Guy]

Someone said EI is an Insurance, great but i've worked in DND for 21 years, and have been been paying into EI for the entire time, as i was thinking about retiring shortly i asked a few questions it was my plan to retire and simply take advantage of collect EI after paying into for 31 years. I was told i could not becasue i would be recieving a pension...i would have to retire get another job work for a year then file for EI...insurance indeed, but not for everyone...

For what it is worth Boges i do agree with most of what you've posted, if you are collecting EI, and you are offered a job, and refuse then yes you should be shown the door...and i'm sure there are some people who think some work is beneth them, but living off any EI is not going to maintain any standard for long, so any work should be a bonus....

There was a time when i was a kid we did all kinds of work in the summer, back breaking work...today , maybe it is just me but kids are not willing to do it, it means going outside, away from the x box, not just kids but kids as old as 25 are just as guilty...it seems we are becoming a welfare state becuase we just refuse to do it....i think this is why companies have been using this foreign workers program, because they still have drive and the will to work when some Canadians don't...

[GostHacked]

Nope. Employment Insurance is and Insurance.

Paid by you. Think of it as an optional tax, but one you can get some back from.

We pay up to 900 dollars a year to cover us for the times we can not find work, if I am a computer tech I shouldn't go be a Christmas tree farmer because our government doesn't understand how insurance works.

In the end all this money comes from taxpayers and people who are forced to purchase insurance, who are taxpayers.

If the tree farmer thing is the only thing available, then take the job.

[cybercoma]

Someone said EI is an Insurance, great but i've worked in DND for 21 years, and have been been paying into EI for the entire time, as i was thinking about retiring shortly i asked a few questions it was my plan to retire and simply take advantage of collect EI after paying into for 31 years. I was told i could not becasue i would be recieving a pension...i would have to retire get another job work for a year then file for EI...insurance indeed, but not for everyone...

For what it is worth Boges i do agree with most of what you've posted, if you are collecting EI, and you are offered a job, and refuse then yes you should be shown the door...and i'm sure there are some people who think some work is beneth them, but living off any EI is not going to maintain any standard for long, so any work should be a bonus....

There was a time when i was a kid we did all kinds of work in the summer, back breaking work...today , maybe it is just me but kids are not willing to do it, it means going outside, away from the x box, not just kids but kids as old as 25 are just as guilty...it seems we are becoming a welfare state becuase we just refuse to do it....i think this is why companies have been using this foreign workers program, because they still have drive and the will to work when some Canadians don't...

So let me get this straight, because you couldn't engage in insurance fraud, you think there's a problem with EI?

[punked]

Someone said EI is an Insurance, great but i've worked in DND for 21 years, and have been been paying into EI for the entire time, as i was thinking about retiring shortly i asked a few questions it was my plan to retire and simply take advantage of collect EI after paying into for 31 years. I was told i could not becasue i would be recieving a pension...i would have to retire get another job work for a year then file for EI...insurance indeed, but not for everyone...

For what it is worth Boges i do agree with most of what you've posted, if you are collecting EI, and you are offered a job, and refuse then yes you should be shown the door...and i'm sure there are some people who think some work is beneth them, but living off any EI is not going to maintain any standard for long, so any work should be a bonus....

There was a time when i was a kid we did all kinds of work in the summer, back breaking work...today , maybe it is just me but kids are not willing to do it, it means going outside, away from the x box, not just kids but kids as old as 25 are just as guilty...it seems we are becoming a welfare state becuase we just refuse to do it....i think this is why companies have been using this foreign workers program, because they still have drive and the will to work when some Canadians don't...

So we should cut the Army so people who serve can also enjoy the wonders of EI? This is what I am getting from this post. Anyone else?