Canadian businesses have a message ahead of the election: We need immigrant workers

[rooster59]

Canadian businesses have a message ahead of the election: We need immigrant workers

By Steve Scherer and Fergal Smith

 

FILE PHOTO: A sign for the Maple Leaf food processing plant is seen in Toronto August 21, 2008. REUTERS/Mark Blinch (CANADA)/File Photo

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian unemployment is at an all-time low and businesses have a message for politicians ahead of October's national election: We need immigrant workers so do not make the campaign about keeping them out.

 

Concern about immigration is on the rise in Canada, according to a recent survey, especially among Conservative voters whose party leads Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals in polls ahead of October elections.

 

Unlike the United States where immigration is viewed by some as a threat, Canadian businesses broadly support Trudeau's promise to boost the number of immigrants and refugees allowed into the country every year to about 1% of the population.

 

"We don't want immigration to be used as a political weapon here as it has been in the United States," said Goldy Hyder, head of the Business Council of Canada, whose members employ 1.7 million people.

 

"We agree with the federal government's targets and we need to meet those targets ... The facts clearly demonstrate that Canada is going to need immigrants to help grow the economy."

 

With unemployment at 5.4%, the lowest level since comparable data were first published in 1976, Canada needs workers. A June 25 report showed the country's farm labour shortage is costing billions and is expected to balloon in the next decade.

 

Canadian packaged meat producer Maple Leaf Foods Inc.'s pork-processing plant in Brandon, Manitoba, is operating at 80% capacity due to both labour and hog shortages, said Susan Yaeger, head of recruiting and hiring. The hog deficit is a function of not being able to find skilled workers to operate the company's commercial farms.

 

"Because of our low unemployment ... there's of course a dwindling labour pool for us to recruit from and our business is growing," she said.

 

Despite this, some politicians are pushing to reduce the number of immigrants and refugees coming to Canada every year.

 

Two-thirds of Canadians who said they voted for the Conservative Party said there were too many "visible minorities" - an academic way of saying non-white people - in the country, up from 53% in 2015, according to an April Ekos Politics survey.

 

Under Trudeau, Canada's population growth accelerated to 1.4% in 2018 from 0.8% in 2015, official data show. That compares with U.S. population growth of about 0.6% in the same period. (https://tmsnrt.rs/2I7z8dv)

 

The number of new permanent residents climbed by 12% in 2018 to 321,035, the highest yearly figure since 1913, eclipsing the government's target of 310,000.

 

Graphic: Canadian immigration climbs on Trudeau's watch (https://tmsnrt.rs/2I7z8dv)

 

For People's Party leader Maxime Bernier, who split from the Conservatives, that is too much. He wants to cut

immigration levels, and so does the Quebec provincial government. While the promise to do so helped put Quebec's right-leaning government in power last year, Bernier is now polling nationally at about 1%.

 

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who holds a slight lead over Trudeau, so far has acknowledged that "immigration, done right, is good for the economy and good for jobs."

 

Companies across Canada are facing the same problem as Maple Leaf Foods. The meat-processing industry alone will need 25,000 workers over the next dozen years, according to a study by the Food Processing Skills Canada.

 

On Tuesday, the Conference Board of Canada, a research group, said that by 2025 all labour force growth in Canada would be driven by new immigrants.

 

The Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, wants to further increase the number of workers brought into the country.

 

"We could do with even more (immigrants)," said Rocco Rossi, head of Ontario's Chamber. "We have enormous needs."

 

(Reporting by Fergal Smith and Steve Scherer, additional reporting by Kelsey Johnson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-27

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[spidermike007]

Same in the US. The country desperately needs immigrant workers. The corporations and companies need them. Agriculture needs them. Restaurants need them. There are millions of jobs Americans refuse to do, at those wages. 

 

Immigrants are about as responsible for America NOT being great, as Trump is responsible for successful trade negotiations, and Samoan fishermen are responsible for worldwide fish depletion. 

 

This is a racist ruse, by a hate mongering president. This is not something that is connected with reality. Immigrants make America great. They always have. Even the Canadians know this. 

[Thakkar]

34 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Immigrants make America great. They always have. 

The guy who invented USB (and the PCI BUS) was an Indian Immigrant, the guy who popularized USB was the son of an iranian immigrant (Steve Jobs—heard of him?). The guys who invented google -sons of Russian immigrants. Youtube - one co-founder a German/Indian immigrant, another, a Taiwanese immigrant. Paypal cofounder Musk, a South African immigrant. America’s greatness and its immigrant story are inextricably linked.

 

[spidermike007]

33 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

The guy who invented USB (and the PCI BUS) was an Indian Immigrant, the guy who popularized USB was the son of an iranian immigrant (Steve Jobs—heard of him?). The guys who invented google -sons of Russian immigrants. Youtube - one co-founder a German/Indian immigrant, another, a Taiwanese immigrant. Paypal cofounder Musk, a South African immigrant. America’s greatness and its immigrant story are inextricably linked.

 

Absolutely correct. Tell that to the racists and xenophobes. I guess some need a bogeyman to sell their fake ideas and agendas. 

[jany123]

2 hours ago, Gudge said:

Typical liberal bullshit. Election in Oct, they are trying to say unemployment low but not saying numbers down because people ran out of unemployment benifets so they don't show on the stats. Business leaving Canada because of Trudopes new taxes, hundreds of thousands out of work in Alberta alone not mentioning other provinces. They say they want immigrants but what they are taking are Muslim only that Don't speak English or French, Don't work and are there for the free benifets only that Trudope is giving them. Christians or whites Don't try to immigrate as you will not be accepted.

After that rant, let’s not tax you too much.... but a couple of links to back up your multifaceted rant would be nice, because the few articles I browsed, suggest you have an over abundance of bs.

[Nowisee]

I think the wording is a little misleading.  

 

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Unlike the United States where immigration is viewed by some as a threat, Canadian businesses broadly support Trudeau's promise to boost the number of immigrants and refugees allowed into the country every year to about 1% of the population

Illegal immigration is viewed as a threat.
Legal, or as written here "immigrants and refugees "allowed" into the country" are not viewed as a threat.  Are they?  Maybe I'm out of touch.

[Gillyflower]

6 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Absolutely correct. Tell that to the racists and xenophobes. I guess some need a bogeyman to sell their fake ideas and agendas. 

And Trump with his paternal German grandparents.

[jany123]

37 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

The guy who invented USB (and the PCI BUS) was an Indian Immigrant, the guy who popularized USB was the son of an iranian immigrant (Steve Jobs—heard of him?). The guys who invented google -sons of Russian immigrants. Youtube - one co-founder a German/Indian immigrant, another, a Taiwanese immigrant. Paypal cofounder Musk, a South African immigrant. America’s greatness and its immigrant story are inextricably linked.

 

And y’all got Jim Jefferies too... he’s an Australian immigrant... creator of the Jim jefferies show, funny as hell... your welcome.

[Thakkar]

6 minutes ago, jany123 said:

Jim Jefferies

One of my faves. His counter arguments against NRA bs haven’t been topped:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rR9IaXH1M0&feature=share

 

[from the home of CC]

The chinese just shut down their imports for pork due to we holding the hauwei queen hostage (they made up an elaborate excuse of course) for the U.S. accounting for 20% of our meat export. I think there's going to be enough pigs for everyone..

[jany123]

3 minutes ago, Nowisee said:

I think the wording is a little misleading.  

 

Illegal immigration is viewed as a threat.
Legal, or as written here "immigrants and refugees "allowed" into the country" are not viewed as a threat.  Are they?  Maybe I'm out of touch.

Mmmm... methinks you just added a misleading option to an otherwise clear article, by tossing in the previously unused word “illegal”.... and... maybe defining what “threat” immigrants pose, might be beneficial in understanding the differences that rampant political rhetoric makes to otherwise simple issues.

[Nowisee]

Yes, I added the word illegal.  Implied by the use of "allowed" in the next sentence. 

 

I think it's safe to say that the administration or as they word it "by some" views "illegal" immigration as the threat.  

 

Anyway, immigrants, legal or illegal, are needed in many countries or things just would not get done.  

 

M

 

[Coastrider]

Big business wants cheap labour. Oh course it does, its goal along with all the greedy is to have every work for 300 baht a day, Keep flooding the market with cheap labour till there will be less high paying jobs. Try to talk to someone at a company on the phone..Hahaha they cannot speak good English.

[Krataiboy]

Unlike the United States where immigration is viewed by some as a threat, Canadian businesses broadly support Trudeau's promise to boost the number of immigrants and refugees allowed into the country 

 

No surprise that the Canadian business sector supports more immigration. Imported cheap labour undermines the ongoing struggle for decent wages and conditions of the indigenous working population.

 

Maybe this explains why "some" people in the US regard immigrants from countries with much lower standards of living as a threat - and why so many working class Americans back Donald Trump's plan for a wall between the US and Mexico.

[Ulic]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Same in the US. The country desperately needs immigrant workers. The corporations and companies need them. Agriculture needs them. Restaurants need them. There are millions of jobs Americans refuse to do, at those wages. 

 

Immigrants are about as responsible for America NOT being great, as Trump is responsible for successful trade negotiations, and Samoan fishermen are responsible for worldwide fish depletion. 

 

This is a racist ruse, by a hate mongering president. This is not something that is connected with reality. Immigrants make America great. They always have. Even the Canadians know this. 

And here lies the problem. The way capitalism is framed is, supply and demand. When the supply of work force labour is low, wages are supposed to rise. But business wants cheap labour so they want unskilled minimum wage immigrants to fill the shortage instead of raising wages (out if poverty to a living wage). Businesses only want to tout capitalisms strengths when it benefits them. Skilled immigrants (and I include farm labourers who can actually make a good living in agriculture because they are fast efficient and hard working) are great. Unskilled immigrants who are brought in by Walmart, Tim Hortons, and other fast food restaurants and companies to work for minimum wage simply undermine the wage scale. They should pay what it takes to get Canadians to work for them, not back door the system to keep proffits high. If that is $17-$19-$21 dollars an hour, so be it.

[user68677878]

Well Canadians aren't known globally for their industrious nature- hence the need for people prepared to do a bit.

[CanadaSam]

The problem is in the wording "visible minorities".

 

You see, in the past, Canada "allowed" in huge numbers of particular ethnicities in very short periods of time, without much thought to skills, etc., resulting in them all banding together in small areas such as one province or one city, causing a "visible" drastic change in ethnicity in various cities/provinces.

 

There was a time when the Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili's made a deal with Trudeau senior to take in all their people who were being thrown out of some african country, I can't remember which, and this was done by chartering airplanes to bring in huge numbers in a short amount of time.

 

Then, immediately after the World Exposition I think in 1986, immediate citizenship was made available to all (rich) people from Hong Kong, who were afraid of their country being handed back to the Chinese by the British, and they all mostly decided to settle in Vancouver (my home town) changing the "face" of the city to turn Chinese, within the span of a couple of years.

 

People from India/Pakistan etc., all banded together in Toronto, making pockets where "white" people are hardly seen.

 

This is not the correct way to go about increasing immigration.  They should vet immigrants for skills, and then offer incentives for them to go where they are needed in the country, not all banding together wherever they like, making the existing population there shocked and scared of the overnight change of ethnicity in their hometowns.

 

Of course, I realize that there is no legal way to prevent them from moving wherever they like, but if they are moved to areas where they are needed for at least the first few years, then the chances are they will stay on there, and help out the economy, and cause the least amount of stress for the existing populace......

 

My two cents.

[user68677878]

1 minute ago, CanadaSam said:

The problem is in the wording "visible minorities".

 

You see, in the past, Canada "allowed" in huge numbers of particular ethnicities in very short periods of time, without much thought to skills, etc., resulting in them all banding together in small areas such as one province or one city, causing a "visible" drastic change in ethnicity in various cities/provinces.

 

There was a time when the Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili's made a deal with Trudeau senior to take in all their people who were being thrown out of some african country, I can't remember which, and this was done by chartering airplanes to bring in huge numbers in a short amount of time.

 

Then, immediately after the World Exposition I think in 1986, immediate citizenship was made available to all (rich) people from Hong Kong, who were afraid of their country being handed back to the Chinese by the British, and they all mostly decided to settle in Vancouver (my home town) changing the "face" of the city to turn Chinese, within the span of a couple of years.

 

People from India/Pakistan etc., all banded together in Toronto, making pockets where "white" people are hardly seen.

 

This is not the correct way to go about increasing immigration.  They should vet immigrants for skills, and then offer incentives for them to go where they are needed in the country, not all banding together wherever they like, making the existing population there shocked and scared of the overnight change of ethnicity in their hometowns.

 

Of course, I realize that there is no legal way to prevent them from moving wherever they like, but if they are moved to areas where they are needed for at least the first few years, then the chances are they will stay on there, and help out the economy, and cause the least amount of stress for the existing populace......

 

My two cents.

and a valued 2 cents worth

[Sakeopete]

Nothing wrong with immigration as long as it's done legally and applicants are vetted. The USA and Canada are great because of hard working immigrants from around the world. The problem is illegal immigration and immigrants who don't integrate and become productive. Canadian's are already battered by high taxes. Who can blame them for being angry when forced to support people who are happy to stay on welfare and commit crimes to make up extra income. Bad enough tax payers have to support their own lazy generational welfare recipients. 

[spidermike007]

37 minutes ago, Ulic said:

And here lies the problem. The way capitalism is framed is, supply and demand. When the supply of work force labour is low, wages are supposed to rise. But business wants cheap labour so they want unskilled minimum wage immigrants to fill the shortage instead of raising wages (out if poverty to a living wage). Businesses only want to tout capitalisms strengths when it benefits them. Skilled immigrants (and I include farm labourers who can actually make a good living in agriculture because they are fast efficient and hard working) are great. Unskilled immigrants who are brought in by Walmart, Tim Hortons, and other fast food restaurants and companies to work for minimum wage simply undermine the wage scale. They should pay what it takes to get Canadians to work for them, not back door the system to keep proffits high. If that is $17-$19-$21 dollars an hour, so be it.

You are asking corporations to behave in an ethical and moral manner. Why would they do that? They behave in whatever way pleases their shareholders, which means they do whatever it takes to achieve the maximum profit. The days of companies doing something because it is the right thing to do, are long gone. It is now about the buck, and only the buck. And does government do anything to protect workers or consumers? Rarely. Why? Because the line between corporations and the government are so blurred, that an argument can be made that corporations do not own the government, they ARE the government. 

 

So, in light of that, does the current rage against illegal immigration make any sense? You cannot replace the Mexican guy who picks grapes with an American worker. A white grape picker? For $9 an hour? Not going to happen. Ever. So, you either reform the current immigration policy to account for the demand for these low wage workers, or you give up the charade. MAGA is completely fake. There is absolutely no substance to it. It is not going to happen. Whatever "greatness" America had, is in the rear view. It is a declining empire. Live with it.

[LikeHeat]

All you Immigrant apologists are on a mission.  People don't mind Immigrants.  As you pointed out, many Immigrants have done some wonderful things.

 

What people do not like are ILLEGAL Immigrants; you know, the ones who cross our borders illegally, ie not at a proper crossing, and then demand to have care and cuddling.  They are given housing, a food allowance, free medical and free education, plus more from a long list.  I am 65 and retired and they get WAY better benefits than I do and I worked and paid taxes for nearly 50 years.  I say that is NOT fair.

 

We coddle them and their first impression is that we will look after the forever.  Why should they work?  These people will not take very many jobs in the meat processing industries who seem to be leading this B$ PR push.  They are a drain.  So I say to flush them out.

 

FYI, my common law Thai wife cannot even get a Tourist visa because "they are not convinced she would return to Thailand".  She would as she has family that needs her.  It really is hypocrisy considering all the illegals that have crossed into Canada and been accepted with OPEN <deleted> arms.

[pookondee]

40 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

You are asking corporations to behave in an ethical and moral manner. Why would they do that? They behave in whatever way pleases their shareholders, which means they do whatever it takes to achieve the maximum profit. The days of companies doing something because it is the right thing to do, are long gone. It is now about the buck, and only the buck. And does government do anything to protect workers or consumers? Rarely. Why? Because the line between corporations and the government are so blurred, that an argument can be made that corporations do not own the government, they ARE the government. 

 

So, in light of that, does the current rage against illegal immigration make any sense? You cannot replace the Mexican guy who picks grapes with an American worker. A white grape picker? For $9 an hour? Not going to happen. Ever. So, you either reform the current immigration policy to account for the demand for these low wage workers, or you give up the charade. MAGA is completely fake. There is absolutely no substance to it. It is not going to happen. Whatever "greatness" America had, is in the rear view. It is a declining empire. Live with it.

Its the same everywhere.

In Australia big business try to use the excuse that they cant find workers, so they have to import workers..

who coincidently, work for half the hourly rate of Aussies. funny that.

 

Its a hard excuse to fathom when you consider Up till a few years ago AUS banks  had call centres in India, as it was cheaper to train them for nothing and have them work for pittance.

And they cant say they couldnt find staff in Aus for those jobs.

 

But as you say, governments let them get away with it because they donate to election campaigns.

really its just greed amd filth and no better than the corruption in Thailand really.

 

Actually, I cant help but think if ALL countries had laws that prohibit foriegners doing the job of a local, the world would be in a lot better space.

 

 

[vmack153]

Many skilled and we'll educated immigrants, hopeful of a better life, in Canada are deceived by the Canadian government. Upon arrival they discover that their degrees or trade certifications are not recognized in Canada. They're forced into the hands of the government's corporate friends to work for minimum wage to survive. 

[Guest Jerry787]

someone saying the true

north american, european are too naif to do poor man jobs so, we do need migrants, howver the trumph and boris advocate viceversa and they are bringing their economies to a disaster.

[Thakkar]

18 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

Then it [multiculturalism] merged with radical feminism. They even removed 'Sons' from the national anthem. Eventually, questioning the veracity of multiculturalism became tantamount to racism and misogyny.

 

I know of a case where 2 Canadian feminists, who were processing citizenship applications, delayed a white Permanent Resident's application for 4 years because they didn't approve of his visits to Thailand. They were discovered, yet faced no consequences.

 

What is “radical feminism?”

 

Are there instances of feminists mass shooters shooting up massage parlors, or feminists planting bombs at bachelor parties that the media are suppressing news of?

 

Your one anecdotal example of a presumed sex tourist allegedly being denied proper process is about an alleged abuse of position by two presumably overzealous feminists. If this is your worst example of “radical feminism, “ I have a question:

 

Is it safe to come out of my bomb shelter now?

[Ozman52]

3 hours ago, Thakkar said:

 

What is “radical feminism?”

 

Are there instances of feminists mass shooters shooting up massage parlors, or feminists planting bombs at bachelor parties that the media are suppressing news of?

 

Your one anecdotal example of a presumed sex tourist allegedly being denied proper process is about an alleged abuse of position by two presumably overzealous feminists. If this is your worst example of “radical feminism, “ I have a question:

 

Is it safe to come out of my bomb shelter now?

How many of your fellow posters do you presume to be "sex tourists"? I have faced that same unfounded prejudice for years, simply because I have a Thai partner.

[Cryingdick]

On 6/27/2019 at 4:58 AM, spidermike007 said:

Same in the US. The country desperately needs immigrant workers. The corporations and companies need them. Agriculture needs them. Restaurants need them. There are millions of jobs Americans refuse to do, at those wages. 

 

Immigrants are about as responsible for America NOT being great, as Trump is responsible for successful trade negotiations, and Samoan fishermen are responsible for worldwide fish depletion. 

 

This is a racist ruse, by a hate mongering president. This is not something that is connected with reality. Immigrants make America great. They always have. Even the Canadians know this. 

 

Many Americans would do those jobs but not below minimum wage. If you want a $15 an hour min wage then illegal immigrants are counter productive and undermine it.

[JHolmesJr]

On 6/27/2019 at 5:34 PM, Thakkar said:

The guy who invented USB (and the PCI BUS) was an Indian Immigrant, the guy who popularized USB was the son of an iranian immigrant (Steve Jobs—heard of him?). The guys who invented google -sons of Russian immigrants. Youtube - one co-founder a German/Indian immigrant, another, a Taiwanese immigrant. Paypal cofounder Musk, a South African immigrant. America’s greatness and its immigrant story are inextricably linked.

 

 

I don't think any orange pluckers or hotel bellhops made America great...all they did was agree to accept

a shitty wage (which is higher than what they make back home), and to be poorly treated as illegals and

deprive honest hardworking Americans of a fair wage. 

 

[Thakkar]

13 hours ago, Ozman52 said:

How many of your fellow posters do you presume to be "sex tourists"? I have faced that same unfounded prejudice for years, simply because I have a Thai partner.

If this is what you got from my post, we are posting from parallel universes. Say, “hey” to my counterpart there, if you meet him.

[Thakkar]

12 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

I don't think any orange pluckers or hotel bellhops made America great...all they did was agree to accept

a shitty wage (which is higher than what they make back home), and to be poorly treated as illegals and

deprive honest hardworking Americans of a fair wage. 

 

 

Guffaws. When you said “Orange plucker” I thought for a moment you were referring to Trump.

 

BTW, the OP is about legal immigration. When racists loose the argument On the undeniable contribution of immigrants, they promptly switch to talking about illegal immigrants, and show fake concern for minimum wage workers while still voting for GOP candidates who oppose raising minimum wage, and even voting for candidate who oppose *any* minimum wage.