‘Labour shortage is real.’ Canadian retailers push back on Ottawa’s foreign labour cap
2024/02/12 1 Comment
The next interest group opposing caps:
Canada’s immigration minister is getting pushback from companies that heavily rely on foreign labour following the federal government’s announcement that it will cap international student visas.
Marc Miller said companies, including “big-box stores,” are already lobbying against the planned reduction in permitted work hours for international students in comments made Tuesday to BNN Bloomberg.
“Some of the big-box stores, some of the businesses that have international students, have pushed relatively hard to preserve the 40-hour work week,” Miller said. “Some student groups call for it as well because a lot of employers want you to be able to commit to more than 20 hours.”
The Retail Council of Canada — which represents 45,000 store fronts across the country, including Canada’s largest grocers, Walmart and Amazon Canada — in an email said that “the labour shortage is real, and finding people has never been more difficult.” Many of the big box stores the RCC represents employ international students, said spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen.
Source: ‘Labour shortage is real.’ Canadian retailers push back on Ottawa’s foreign labour cap
About Andrew
Multicultural Meanderings 
“The Retail Council of Canada — which represents 45,000 store fronts across the country, including Canada’s largest grocers, Walmart and Amazon Canada — in an email said that “the labour shortage is real, and finding people has never been more difficult.” Many of the big box stores the RCC represents employ international students, said spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen.”
The gap between federal and provincial enforcement mechanisms is far too wide. Who is ensuring that these employers are not engaging in illegal labour practices that result in their ‘needing’ these international student workers.
While anecdotal, our small community has seen a forced exodus of long-time employees from many of these retailers. Canadian PR/citizens who have worked for Walmart, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s (and more) for decades in some instances, seeing their hours cut dramatically to the point where they are forced to quit – all under the guise of ‘we don’t have enough hours for everyone’. Many of these individuals do not have the means to pushback, and end up working comparable jobs for lesser pay, and less hours, at other spaces.
What efforts have these corporations made to entice local people to work for them? They haven’t increased wages. They haven’t offered benefits packages. They haven’t offered mentoring programs. They haven’t offered child care. They’ve offered absolutely nothing. But hey, at least they keep posting those job ads so as to ensure they meet LMIA issuance requirements.
I can understand the need for temporary foreign workers in all sorts of industries (eg. seasonal), and instances (eg. special skills required/unexpected growth). I think the mobility of people should be at least as free as the movement of goods and capital. I don’t think that we should be using the TFWP/international study permit regime as a form of corporate welfare to these profitable industries.