I keep thinking about this – and I admit to dithering. We are advised that the reason we import foreign workers is that our own won’t or can’t do the work. A shortage of labour we are told. What is never spoken is that seemingly the local work force is unwilling to work for the wages being offered and that the temporary workers are grateful to have whatever wage is offered.
Is it possible that if employers paid a reasonable living wage and treated employees with respect our own might be more inclined to value a local job? I don’t know enough to come to a rational decision but I have seen enough employees treated like indentured servants to understand a disinterest in working for local employers.
I have also seen the response when deserving employees are adequately remunerated and treated as valued members of a team. The business thrives as do the employees.
I know it is a complicated sub
I live in Canmore, AB and here as well as in Banff and Lake Louise merchants are always looking for workers and often foreign workers will be hired by bi chains like McDonalds and Tim Hortons and I would speculate that their living arrangements are anything but ideal. There was a cost of living study conducted here a year ago and it determined that the “living wage” for a couple should be in the area of $20-22 / hr. In reality what is offered here is more in the range of $12-14 /hr. My suspicion is that these businesses want to maintain their healthy bottom line and would rather struggle with employee turnover, exploitation of foreign workers than offer a decent wage.
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