A construction union has called on the federal government to pause its Temporary Foreign Worker program amid U.S. tariff threats as a means to secure more employment for domestic skilled workers.
Ironworkers Local 97 in B.C. has long argued that the reliance on temporary foreign workers has stagnated and weakened “wages for everyday Canadians.”
The union has been petitioning the federal government for years to focus on bolstering Canada’s domestic skilled trades workforce instead of importing foreign labour.
“Every time we go out there, we think that they finally heard us and that they’re actually going to invest in Canadian workers,” Ironworkers Local 97 business manager Doug Parton told The Canadian Press.
“But as soon as we leave there, it seems the program gets worse.”
In light of U.S. tariffs, Parton said his union called for an “immediate end” to the program, citing the added “uncertainty” it brings to the industry.
According to Parton, as the trade war with the U.S. intensifies, it’s more important than ever that jobs are given to “qualified Canadians,” instead of foreign workers who’ve been brought into the country to “fill gaps in the labour market.”
In a statement released Friday, Parton urged the government to “curb the misuse” of the foreign worker program and begin prioritizing the training of Canadian workers, saying that the program also “undermines worker safety and fairness.”
The union said that a “temporary pause” of the program would allow for the construction industry to “review and strengthen standards” for workers’ safety and sustainability.
While Parton acknowledged that the program’s issues are not a new phenomenon, he said that “now is the time” to invest in Canadian skilled trades workers.
“We should be investing in Canadians, taking every opportunity we can to ensure that if there is mass layoffs in all sectors, that Canadians have that first right,” said Parton.
Parton said that companies seeking cheaper labour abroad in the name of “corporate profits,” pose an additional threat to the many Canadian jobs already at risk due to U.S. tariffs.
“Is that the right thing to do when Canadians are sitting at home?” Parton said. “I’m not anti-(temporary foreign worker.) I can give you 1,000 reasons why somebody would want to come to Canada, but when they come to Canada, ought not they be treated like a Canadian and given fair wages as well?”