Small town Alberta mayors chide TFWP changes / Municipal workers in Newfoundland and Labrador locked out
Small town Alberta mayors chide TFWP changes
CALGARY — Mayors of small town Alberta have lambasted Ottawa’s changes to the temporary foreign worker program.
The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) said businesses rely on temporary foreign workers to fill the province’s labour shortages, and the federal government’s recent changes will restrict access to much-needed workers and jeopardize economic growth and development.
"The program needs to account for the unique employment needs of Alberta’s economy," said Helen Rice, president of the association. "We agree the program should be strengthened, but the solution does not lie in inhibiting Alberta’s growth."
Earlier this summer, employment minister Jason Kenney overhauled the program, making it more difficult for employers to hire temporary foreign workers and instead to ensure Canadians are considered first for jobs. For employers that violate the new rules, the federal government is considering lifetime bans and hefty fines.
But the AUMA said any reforms should instead focus on providing greater clarity on how employers can adequately demonstrate their inability to hire a Canadian worker and to implement changes to reduce the cost and time of its application process.
"We question why employers across Alberta are being penalized by restrictive changes when only a small percentage of employers are inappropriately using the program," Rice added.
Municipal workers in Newfoundland and Labrador locked out
MOUNT PEARL, N.L. — The City of Mount Pearl, N.L., locked out its municipal workers on Sept. 29.
Garbage and recycling collection were disrupted while recreational programs and events have been suspended.
The Reid Community Centre, swimming pool and Kenmount Park Community Centre are closed. Many of the 140 employees — represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2099 — protested the city’s latest and reportedly "final" offer before being locked out. The union reports wages are the main outstanding issue in negotiations.
"Mount Pearl residents need to understand that we were more than ready to go back to the table, but the city appears to have other plans," said CUPE Local 2099 president Bob Martin.
"I want to emphasize, this is not a work stoppage, as the mayor has been saying. This is a lockout. The mayor and senior managers have basically shut the city down."
The union reports there has been no movement towards resolution.
