Wood Buffalo, temporary foreign workers

In Wood Buffalo temporary foreign workers are being paid less than Canadian workers by construction companies, and some of the TFWs are working in the Athabasca oilsands. The Alberta Federation of Labour has received documentation that hundreds of companies in Wood Buffalo and Alberta are being allowed to pay TFWs far below what Canadian workers would receive for the same positions, titles, and work duties. AFL president Gil McGowan released a statement explaining “In June, the federal government introduced changes that will make it harder for low-wage employers to get access to TFWs. What these documents show is that the problem is not solved; it’s just moving up the wage ladder.” Many Canadian workers believe that companies are hiring temporary foreign workers in order to cut costs when there are Canadian workers who are just as qualified but who would require a higher wage.

The temporary foreign workers in Wood Buffalo are often paid quite a bit less than Canadian workers with the same skill sand qualifications. The construction industry is not the only industry with high numbers of temporary foreign workers in Wood Buffalo, fast food businesses and other industries also tend to have larger numbers of TFWs. Some Canadian workers feel that these numbers are unfair, and that companies prefer TFWs over citizens because they can pay lower wages and fewer benefits. The Canadian government is monitoring the situation and changes may be made to current laws and legislation in order to provide a level playing field for Canadian workers.