Project Labor Agreements

[crazymf]

My friend runs a major pipeline company out of Nisku. Anyway, we were sitting around last night drinking legal drugs and talking about work, etc. The topic of Mexican illegal workers came up and he stated to me that right now, up in Fort Mac, there's a company that uses a Chinese contractor, who in turn has flown all their own workers in from China or wherever. These dudes are flown in to a private airfield up there and are segregated from all western people and live in a separate camp until they finish their stint, and are then flown straight back out of the country. My friend also stated that this is significantly cheaper labor and the Canadian labor unions have no say in the matter whatsoever.

Anybody heard of this going on here? It was news to me.

[RB]

There are defined exempt and a sector as special as the pipeline business if Canadians cannot be found, and the labor market is not adversely effected for this occupational type and if certain requirements are bona fide for that occupation, yes foreign workers (non-Canadians) can work in Canada. There are international aggreements for temporary appointments and hence

1) some jobs do not require authorization and also validation

2) some jobs fall under the free trade act

[August1991]

An oil company is defending its plan to use more than 500 workers from China to help build a tank facility at its oilsands project near Fort McMurray.

Labour groups have criticized Canadian Natural Resources Limited for wanting to bring in temporary foreign workers, saying there are enough Canadians to do the work.

CBC

The Koreans used to do this kind of thing but I guess they're too expensive and it's now the turn of the Chinese.

[geoffrey]

Nothing wrong with this. Since we can't get people off unemployment from the East of Canada, we might as well import people that actually want to make some money. It's good for all of us, those pipelines transport the fuels that we all complain about being too expense.

If CNR is using them even better, I'm a shareholder.

Your friend have any summer positions for a business student with background in oil and gas data management? I'm looking to get out of my business and into a normal job, whatever that may be.

[Michael Hardner]

Your friend have any summer positions for a business student with background in oil and gas data management? I'm looking to get out of my business and into a normal job, whatever that may be. wink.gif

If you're willing to work for the minimum wage or less, then there are many opportunities available for you.

[geoffrey]

That's actually not true at all. There are tons of jobs in oil and gas that pay very well for pretty much unskilled labour. I was offered a job earlier this year for the summer driving a truck out to various wells and just doing basic inspections on them, and the offered price was more than double minimum wage.

I was only half-kidding about the job thing, I'm content for now, always good to be putting the name out for new opportunities though.

[Michael Hardner]

That's actually not true at all. There are tons of jobs in oil and gas that pay very well for pretty much unskilled labour. I was offered a job earlier this year for the summer driving a truck out to various wells and just doing basic inspections on them, and the offered price was more than double minimum wage.

I was only half-kidding about the job thing, I'm content for now, always good to be putting the name out for new opportunities though. dry.gif

Interesting. I guess these Chinese folks just had better qualifications then. It will also be interesting to see how the low skill, high pay jobs go in this market.

[geoffrey]

It's not below minimum wage jobs we are talking about. It's people coming in unskilled at $14-16 an hour, which would be considerably cheaper then paying Canadian locals at the average labour rate.

I don't think anyone in Alberta makes minimum wage in a labour related job right now, I'd be hard pressed to find many below $10. Check on job boards, you can easily find $14+ jobs for unskilled work.

Bringing in Chinese or whatever workers to work slightly cheaper is good for the industry. Paying inflated wages can only last so long.