The Mixer, November, 2007 BC Construction Unions are calling on Canada’s Minister of Immigration and the BC Government to enforce standards to prevent exploitation of workers and sub-standard construction practices. Vancouver – The BC Building Trades Council is calling on the federal and provincial government for strict enforcement of labour standards and a plan to guard against abuses of the recently announced “fast-tracking” of temporary foreign worker applications. “While it’s good to see collaboration between Immigration Minister Solberg and BC Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen, I have serious concerns about the safety and exploitation of temporary workers” said Gary Kroeker, President of the British Columbia and Yukon Territory Building and Construction Trades Council (BCYTBCTC). BC Construction Unions continue to intervene on behalf of vulnerable foreign workers, who are unaware of their employment standard rights. Latin American workers on the Canada Line, who were paid less than $5 per hour before intervention from the Building Trades Unions, are still in the process of seeking justice. “I am also concerned about the monitoring and enforcement of workers’ trades qualifications” Kroeker said. “BC currently has no compulsory requirement for trades workers to hold a Trades Qualification Certificate. How will the government monitor foreign worker trade qualifications to ensure that BC standards are met?” Kroeker asked. “What impact will ‘fast-tracking’ the migrant worker program have on training opportunities?” Kroeker asked. The Ministers’ announcement makes no mention of harmonizing the foreign recruitment program with domestic incentives to encourage employers to train First Nations, Women and Youth. “I’m asking the Ministers to explain the impact and not to jeopardize domestic training in order to fill the current fickle boom in the residential construction market”. Kroeker underlined the Building Trades position with regard to migrant workers. “I want to make it absolutely clear that we are not against the importation of foreign workers when a labour shortfall is demonstrated. What we are against, is the importation of migrant workers as a source of cheap labour,” Kroeker concluded. | 
