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The local had a policy, the union's investigators claimed, of collecting dues from undocumented workers but denying access to benefits. Undocumented workers were left off union invoices that would entitle them to benefits, and those benefits and credits were then collected by other union members, primarily piecework contractors employing such "phantom" workers.

The investigation, carried out at the behest of the parent union, also alleges that employers, under the union's nose, paid undocumented workers less and held back on payments for extras.

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Personally, I do not like the fact there are illegal immigrants in Canada, and would like to see those with established lives and who are working at legal jobs given landed immigrant status and redress for their historic exploitation.

In my view illegal immigrants should not be allowed to work. It is a misleading argument to say these workers "pay" union dues. Mostly they receive their gross cheque and/or cash the unions extract the dues as a sort of levy based on a head count from the contractor or owners reports.

Ordinary legal unionized workers see their dues reported as deductions from their wages.

It is difficult but illegal immigranst should be deported and should not be given any special status because they "pay" union dues. Unions that demand pension contributions from illegal immigrants are providing disincentives to the owner or contractor for using them.

Unfortunately the article places the spin on them that the unions are benefitting improperly from immigrant exploitation. In fact iif we approach the issue from this point of view we do a disservice to legal immigrants who have qualified to live and work in Canada.

Using illegal immigrants must really be making the exploitive contractors money. Not only from lower wages, but also by no employer contributions going to the government by way of no WCB, CPP and EI. The whole situation is a nasty one that really should be stoppped.

I the unionized worker show up at a job and am told that I'm not needed because there is a guy smuggled into the country who will do my job for half the hourly rate.

I complain to the union. They report this to immigration but nothing is done and trhe next day there are two more illegal workers doing the work of the union members.

There are no immigration poliuce but there are plenty of politicians on the tube espousing their liberal immigration attitudes. I, a recent landed immigrant myself, who have been desperately tring to help family members get status too, get a sick feeling in my gut.

I am a small contractor who pays my taxes and my union obligations, my workers comp, and deals fairly within the labour laws. I bid a job with a union labour force that a crew of ilegal immigrants also bid with reduced labour costs and win. They actually will net more than I would have because they will not meet their trust obligations, they will effectively "steal" this money and buy the latest piece of technology thereby acquiring a competitive advantage. they will laugh at me and then complain to liberal publications like trhe Toronto Star that unions are doing them a raw deal...holler "racism", "discrimination".

Either way you should know there is a huge shortage of workers in the construction sector.

In fact the head of the building trades association stated in the Star that without illegal workers in construction not one house would be built in the GTA. (if you want the source give me some time and I will look it up tonight after work)

If you are a unionized worker that showed up at a contruction job and told you were not needed due to non-unionized labour relacement I suggest you have been hit on the head with a hammer. Doesnt work like that. Also if there are "illegal workers" they might actually be in your union.

"There are no immigration poliuce but there are plenty of politicians on the tube espousing their liberal immigration attitudes."

Please name the politicians.

"I, a recent landed immigrant myself, who have been desperately tring to help family members get status too, get a sick feeling in my gut."

So I take it out on others without status?

Please give details for the story below.
Of special interest is the name of the union
that is giving non-status people a raw deal.

Its been my experience that unions, especially in the trades, are very supportive of non-status people.

I can back up my assertions. Can you?

(I am a small contractor who pays my taxes and my union obligations, my workers comp, and deals fairly within the labour laws. I bid a job with a union labour force that a crew of ilegal immigrants also bid with reduced labour costs and win. They actually will net more than I would have because they will not meet their trust obligations, they will effectively "steal" this money and buy the latest piece of technology thereby acquiring a competitive advantage. they will laugh at me and then complain to liberal publications like trhe Toronto Star that unions are doing them a raw deal...holler "racism", "discrimination".)

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Originally posted by Boinker:
...
In my view illegal immigrants should not be allowed to work. It is a misleading argument to say these workers "pay" union dues. Mostly they receive their gross cheque and/or cash the unions extract the dues as a sort of levy based on a head count from the contractor or owners reports.

Ordinary legal unionized workers see their dues reported as deductions from their wages.

... Unions that demand pension contributions from illegal immigrants are providing disincentives to the owner or contractor for using them.

Unfortunately the article places the spin on them that the unions are benefitting improperly from immigrant exploitation.

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You might want to be careful, we all should. Expressions of sentiment such as your's might get you labelled as a closet Reformer.

Seriously though, I agree that only those with legal status in Canada should be permitted to work here. But in hot job markets like Toronto and Calgary, Immigration Canada and local police might well be hard pressed to keep up with things in terms of actual numbers.

I think you're right that unions insisting on checkoffs for all those actually working reduces the financial incentive for employers to hire illegal immigrants. But that said, these people should be entitled to collect the relevant benefits, and I gather the article claims that part isn't happening.

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Its been my experience that unions, especially in the trades, are very supportive of non-status people.

I can back up my assertions. Can you?

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Sure. I work collecting those trust funds from deadbeat employers who don't remit them, who despise unions and government and just about anyone else who gets in the way of their making a fast buck at everyone else's expense.

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Originally posted by exist:
Either way you should know there is a huge shortage of workers in the construction sector.

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