Marc Laferriere
Marc Laferriere
FOR BRANT NEWS
In my last Brant News column I took a hard line on employment, something I believe is top of mind for people in Brant.
Looking at statistics, we’ve seen it’s been a tough economy. Employment in many regions like ours is generally stagnant and is about the same as it was last year despite over a year of Conservative majority government.
The Conservatives run each election on a platform of long-term growth and prosperity, but where are the results? They point to program after program, but programs have to deliver results in regions like ours.
This is a theme you hear in coffee shops, meeting places and Facebook message threads across the riding.
Our unemployment rate has been stuck at a level higher than the national, provincial and regional averages consistently for years now. My anger about the subject is not new or shocking to the people who live here. With that said, I was always taught to not just oppose, but to also propose ideas for positive change.
What can we do that is different?
I think it is a matter of priorities. When the Conservative government talks about a strong economy, they’ll point to resource development, oil and bank profits. Fine, but what about the quality and quantity of work for everyday people?
What about the growing number of working poor? The proliferation of unsecure and low wage work? The abuse of temp work? The opening of our borders to temporary foreign workers when there are folks here who could be re-trained to work those jobs?
Too often, people feel if you ask a politician about job creation they’ll talk in circles for what seems like an hour without actually saying much. Too often that is exactly what happens.
I’m as tired of that kind of political rhetoric as you are.
In my last column, I may have appeared pessimistic talking about another factory closure in our community, but I’m also keenly aware that there are some very prudent things governments can be doing to help create the right climate for job creation, right now.
I’m actually quite hopeful we can create an economy that works for Canadians while at the same time improving employment, if we make some practical adjustments toward infrastructure and education.
Municipalities have been making their case to Ottawa for long-term, stable infrastructure investments that will create long-term conditions for economic growth while putting tens of thousands of people to work in family-sustaining jobs.
This isn’t about reckless spending, but is instead about a targeted investment that pays us back three times – once in job creation, once in having the infrastructure to move goods and build the economy and once in preventing accidents and other expensive unfortunate events from occurring.
Next, we need to systematically target education and training toward the jobs we will need in our communities now and for the next 20 years. It seems odd to me that while hundreds of thousands of Canadians are suffering from unemployment, our government is providing incentives for the hiring of thousands of temporary foreign workers.
Conservative Minister Jason Kenney says “there are large and acute growing labour shortages in many regions and industries in this country.” Then why aren’t we stopping this job bleed by training Canadians to fill these jobs? Why are we seeing instead the Conservatives fast tracking 3,000 foreign workers next year?
The Conservatives have incentivized companies to hire foreign workers by allowing them to often pay them less than Canadians. Their next idea is to flood the job market with skilled foreign workers by fast tracking them into the country by the thousands.
Instead, we should incentivize training programs that would see those already in Canada who are unemployed and under-employed get the training they need to fill not just these jobs, but the tens of thousands of jobs that our economy will need in the future.
We’ve known about a skilled labour shortage for over a decade now. Perhaps we should finally do something about it that gets more Canadians working in family-sustaining jobs.
Marc Laferriere is the Brant NDP federal candidate of record.
Our municipal tax base is also one of the reasons we have a higher then average unemployment rate.
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“Municipalities have been making their case to Ottawa for long-term, stable infrastructure investments”
If all municipalities are to get such funding, then there is no one else to transfer that wealth from. It might as well come from the local municipal taxpayers directly, without boomeranging through Ottawa (or Toronto) first. (If you have in mind the higher levels’ better creditworthiness, then don’t talk about “long-term stable … investments”, which by definition cannot be put on a credit card.)
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A Government that allows Temp Agencies is not a Government for the people.I was a Temp worker at one place for 16 months.Why because I was a good worker.I knew guys that were Temps for 5 years.The Conservative Government caters to the likes of this crap.It’s time that we have a Government who cares for the little guy.This should be the number one problem going into the next election.Not a Government that hurts the guy trying to raise a family on mininum wage.Us Temp Workers want a real job not a Temp job for years.
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I used to use temp agencies for just that, temporary work that usually lasted a couple days and could not be counted on as part time work. Using this service for full time employment allows a company to bypass many of the rights that workers fought so hard to achieve over the years and eliminates many of the responsibilities that a Canadian company owes to an employee.
To fix it, the legislation would need to be adjusted to define that if a plant has x number of regular working hours, then only 5% of that labor can be temp. There should also be a limitation on the length of time a worker can be kept as temp based on number of hours worked within a 3-6 month timeframe.
Temp agencies, as they stand today, erode the quality of life for all Canadians.
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Have either of you ever worked for a Temp Agency or for a company who uses these Temp worker for years if not I don’t think you know what we go through.The big Company hires another company to da the dirty work and keeps their name out of what’s really going on while they make millions of dollors.Is this right.Is it right to be a Temp Worker for 5 years for the same Company.I don’t think they can do this for years just so they can pay mininum wage and no benefits.I have lived this for now my fifth year.I’m 59 and next year will be on Canada Pension thank God.But I will still continue to fight against these Temp Agencies once I’m retired.I’m going to fight for my childen and grandchildren.
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You know what I would support legislation to ban temp agencies
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Us Temp Workers would agree.It’s time to pay equal pay again.Pay equity went out the door with Temp Agencies and our Government supports this.No surprise to me.
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I choose Both let us find real jobs.Lets go back to a time when they the company directly hired you.I was thinking of getting a flag made with the letter I for Integrity and let companyies fly it high claiming they won’t hire Temp workers and fly it proudly.Cause our Government couldn’t fly it with Integrity that’s for sure.
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Step #1 – Eliminate free trade.
As a business owner, I found that I was competing with Chinese produced product that directly competed against Canadian Labor rates. We also paid taxes that supported the Canadian economy while the Chinese produced product did not. Competing dollar for dollar against these companies leaves us with 2 choices. Reduce wages to 2 cents a day or build policies that support the Canadian economy. We are currently racing for the 2 cents a day. Fix that & I’ll bring back 100′s of local jobs. Free trade only helps the biggest of corporations.
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yes you are right. It opens the market so that we can buy things made by people who work for pennies a day in atrocious conditions. That means in order to compete, you are willing to work for those same wages and conditions. You are willing to give up our lifestyles and freedoms for a few trinkets. History is repeating itself.
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Temp Services Scam more money out of their workers
https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/larry-gordon-killam/temp-service-scam-more-money-out-of-their-workers/10150304649111933
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It was around mid 80′s to late 80′s I signed a petition against Temp Agencies because I could see the future and now I’m living it.I signed that petition cause I did not want my kids to have to go that route.I have even seen people in University have to work temps.My ex forman had to do this also.At one time they didn’t even have to pay Stat holidays but someone fought for the little guy.I wonder who that was.Certainly not the Conservatives.At least the Liberals gave us a little pay hike with increasing mininum wage but their was another party that was pushing that for years I wonder who is really fighting for the guy who needs a real job.
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