Liberal (Minority/Majority) Government 2025 - ???

[daftandbarmy]

Some good news... the public sector is getting smaller:

‘Quite disappointing’: Economists react to weak September jobs report​

“That’s been a theme for all of this year. We now have total employment in Canada down 41,000 this year, but all of those are in the public sector.”

‘Quite disappointing’: Economists react to weak September jobs report

Canada’s sluggish economy has lost more than 100,000 jobs over the past two months amid a bitter trade war with the U.S., but economists say the hardest hit area has been the public sector, rather than industries directly impacted by tariffs.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

 

[Eaglelord17]

I don't know if this qualifies as "youth employment", but an example from my family:

My cousin and his best friend were both employed by a chain retailer as stockers. His sister was employed by same retailer as a cashier. The two boys have been employed in there full time since they graduated 2 years ago. She had been a part-time cashier throughout her high school years, then permanent part-time since she graduated last year. Both still live at home because you can't rent and apartment and afford to eat in this province (NB) with minimum wage jobs (even with full-time minimum wage jobs).

Mid-July of this year all three of them received lay-off notices due to the downturn in the economy. The boys were shift-workers in their stocking role with the store having 4 shifts of 8 pers per shift. All 4 shifts went down to 6 pers. I have no idea how many of the cashiers like my cousin received pink slips. Three weeks after their employment ended "due to the downturn in the economy" ... the shifts were back up to 8 persons per shift - the 'new' employees being 2 TFWs per shift. WTAF?

If a couple employees from the same place start filing for pogey due to being laid-off, how TF is the same business getting away with bringing in TFWs a mere 3 weeks later? Is the government not noticing this crap or do they just not care?

Leaves me with a few questions:

1) Can the government not track this BS?
2) How can a business get away with having TFWs when there are people who are willing to work (at min wage) who are qualified to do the work and who were doing the work?
3) I don't think an application to hire TFWs can be done in a mere 3 week turn-around, so this tells me the business planned it out. ASmoke and mirrors.

The town in question has high unemployment and many looking for work, few getting it, but an abundance of TFWs in every place you enter.

My local Tims is a 5 minute drive away and I hit it 4 times a day. All summer the "Now Hiring" was posted and I watched the locals (adults and teens) and seasonal cottage kids dropping off their resumes at the counter ... and all summer and to this day, nothing but TFWs in there.

It's frustrating as hell. It's sucking the life out of this country. It and a whole lot else is sucking the life out of us. My rose coloured glasses have disappeared.

I am of the opinion TFWs should be paid 25% more than whatever the local average for said job is (not determined by the employer). That would discourage there usage to where it is actually needed.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Meh; I was thinking our very own Guylaine Maxwell.

The TerraMar Project

Yikes.

At least Mrs Carney and Mrs Maxwell have never rubbed shoulders.

 

[YZT580]

I am of the opinion TFWs should be paid 25% more than whatever the local average for said job is (not determined by the employer). That would discourage there usage to where it is actually needed.

Interesting thought. There are areas though, such as many agricultural jobs, where TFW's are essential. With working time limited to 8 months of the year for most, the unemployment insurance costs to the tax payer if those positions were staffed with full-time employees would be astronomical: if you could get permanent residents to even take them. So there is room for some temps. Would setting a maximum permitted unemployment level at say 5.5% before temps. were permitted in any those exceptions work? But along with that would have to come workable housing solutions. As Armyvern mentioned, the kids can't leave home on minimum wage so it limits the positions they can accept. In my neck of the woods, the SHAW festival has built an Actor's village to provide housing for many of their people. Temporary housing in Niagara is more than their take home or so they say.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Interesting thought. There are areas though, such as many agricultural jobs, where TFW's are essential. With working time limited to 8 months of the year for most, the unemployment insurance costs to the tax payer if those positions were staffed with full-time employees would be astronomical: if you could get permanent residents to even take them. So there is room for some temps. Would setting a maximum permitted unemployment level at say 5.5% before temps. were permitted in any those exceptions work? But along with that would have to come workable housing solutions. As Armyvern mentioned, the kids can't leave home on minimum wage so it limits the positions they can accept. In my neck of the woods, the SHAW festival has built an Actor's village to provide housing for many of their people. Temporary housing in Niagara is more than their take home or so they say.

We are failing to allow the labour market to properly adjust.

Minimum wage doesn’t mean thats what that job is worth, rather the minimum that a company can offer to pay. It is a limit not what it will be.

TFWs are a big part of wage suppression, if wages were fair for that work in that area they would be able to find employees. The fact they can’t means they need to offer more. Thats where the 25% comes in.

Forcing them to pay more than what the regional average is means they either can’t actually find people locally, at which point they will pay. Or that they are trying to bring in cheaper workers than what is actually a fair wage at which point they will pay the going rate for a local employee as it makes more sense for the bottom line.

 

[suffolkowner]

Interesting thought. There are areas though, such as many agricultural jobs, where TFW's are essential. With working time limited to 8 months of the year for most, the unemployment insurance costs to the tax payer if those positions were staffed with full-time employees would be astronomical: if you could get permanent residents to even take them. So there is room for some temps. Would setting a maximum permitted unemployment level at say 5.5% before temps. were permitted in any those exceptions work? But along with that would have to come workable housing solutions. As Armyvern mentioned, the kids can't leave home on minimum wage so it limits the positions they can accept. In my neck of the woods, the SHAW festival has built an Actor's village to provide housing for many of their people. Temporary housing in Niagara is more than their take home or so they say.

the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program is a sub type of the TFW system.
I think most people might be referring to the Low Wage Stream abuses vs
the High Wage Stream
Foreign Academic
Global Talent
etc

Hire a temporary foreign worker with a Labour Market Impact Assessment - Canada.ca

Learn about the requirements for hiring foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and what you need to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment

www.canada.ca

 

[Jarnhamar]

Apparently Joly's Stern letter didn't scare anyone.

Stelco says it is proceeding with Ontario layoffs after Ottawa issues ultimatum​

https://archive.is/F3LcV

 

[mariomike]

My local Tims is a 5 minute drive away and I hit it 4 times a day. All summer the "Now Hiring" was posted and I watched the locals (adults and teens) and seasonal cottage kids dropping off their resumes at the counter ... and all summer and to this day, nothing but TFWs in there.

Some folks have signed a Pledge.

I pledge to boycott Tim Hortons — no coffee, no breakfast — until Tim Hortons commits to hiring Canadians and investing in our next generation.

 

[ArmyRick]

Apparently Joly's Stern letter didn't scare anyone.

Stelco says it is proceeding with Ontario layoffs after Ottawa issues ultimatum​

https://archive.is/F3LcV

surprise surprise.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Apparently Joly's Stern letter didn't scare anyone.

Stelco says it is proceeding with Ontario layoffs after Ottawa issues ultimatum​

https://archive.is/F3LcV

How else should the government have initiated what will clearly be a legal fight? Air strike? Unilateral declaration of ownership? Taking the plant by force? Arresting all the leadership? Deporting them as undesireable?

This is not Venezuela, and we are not the US, thank fuck.

 

[brihard]

How else should the government have initiated what will clearly be a legal fight? Air strike? Unilateral declaration of ownership? Taking the plant by force? Arresting all the leadership? Deporting them as undesireable?

This is not Venezuela, and we are not the US, thank fuck.

Yup, any legal mechanisms to enforce terms of past agreement will be procedural and pretty boring. There’s also a significant political risk if this is handled hamfistedly. Stelco is an American company. Any steps that deprive them of control over or possession or their assets will quickly get the attention of an administration that doesn’t see any particular need to honour agreements if they don’t feel like it. Steel is already a hot button topic.

This needs to be managed carefully, and it will probably be boring to watch.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Some, but clearly not all, can be attributed to kids heading back to school full time. But with that being said, not a good showing. Alberta though knocked the cover off the ball again. Signs that the oil patch is starting to get its mojo back? Would be a great thing for the entire country if this is true.

Why is that funny?

 

[Jarnhamar]

How else should the government have initiated what will clearly be a legal fight? Air strike? Unilateral declaration of ownership? Taking the plant by force? Arresting all the leadership? Deporting them as undesireable?

This is not Venezuela, and we are not the US, thank fuck.

Naw, no airstrikes. I'm simply pointing out Joly's stern letter and ultimatum didn't scare anyone into compliance.

I would say an actual legal fight should be initiated through legal channels. This letter looks more like political posturing written and released for public consumption.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Naw, no airstrikes. I'm simply pointing out Joly's stern letter and ultimatum didn't scare anyone into compliance.

I would say an actual legal fight should be initiated through legal channels. This letter looks more like political posturing written and released for public consumption.

Or....

The letter is Exhibit A in court, and a necessary step in the court of public opinion

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Some good news... the public sector is getting smaller:

‘Quite disappointing’: Economists react to weak September jobs report​

“That’s been a theme for all of this year. We now have total employment in Canada down 41,000 this year, but all of those are in the public sector.”

‘Quite disappointing’: Economists react to weak September jobs report

Canada’s sluggish economy has lost more than 100,000 jobs over the past two months amid a bitter trade war with the U.S., but economists say the hardest hit area has been the public sector, rather than industries directly impacted by tariffs.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

Apparently Joly's Stern letter didn't scare anyone.

Stelco says it is proceeding with Ontario layoffs after Ottawa issues ultimatum​

https://archive.is/F3LcV

Stelco, has been a dog's breakfast for 20 years. It hasn't been owned by Canadians for two decades and has gone through multiple American owners hands since then.

Whole lot of bark without any bite behind it!

 

[brihard]

Why is that funny?

He does that. Laugh react but no actual comment challenging anything. You get used to it.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Or....

The letter is Exhibit A in court, and a necessary step in the court of public opinion

The issue is they gave them $$$. Which was a mistake. It was done for partisan political reasons of course. They could take them to court, but to what end? Nationalize the company? There is no market for the product here.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Or....

The letter is Exhibit A in court, and a necessary step in the court of public opinion

Great point

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Or....

The letter is Exhibit A in court, and a necessary step in the court of public opinion

FTFY

Exhibit A. Period.

There is a requirement in Canadian law that before you undertake civil proceedings (which this would be since it is based in contract law), you have to put your co-contracting party in default by way of notice. this is what this letter does, regardless of whether it was drafted to sound "political" or not.

 

[Eaglelord17]

The issue is they gave them $$$. Which was a mistake. It was done for partisan political reasons of course. They could take them to court, but to what end? Nationalize the company? There is no market for the product here.

A lot of steel production in Canada has been greatly hurt by the tariffs. Algoma Steel for example mainly produced coil and a small amount of plate before. Now because of only being able to sell to the Canadian market, it is opposite and nowhere near the same tonnage.

Steel manufacturing in Canada needs investment into different manufacturing lines if we want it to survive (which I would consider a matter of national strategic importance). Algoma was going to get a new structural steel line if the Feds went with South Korean subs but that went sideways.

Stelco might just need the same, maybe getting it out of American hands isn’t a terrible idea.