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While the Wickinninish Inn, on Vancouver Island, argued they had to bring in temporary workers because of shortages, the Empress Hotel in Victoria stated that they did not face a hiring problem because they simply paid higher wages.

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Wages, markets and temporary workers

[ 01 July 2007: Message edited by: CUPE_Reformer ]

I think there's two other elements to this. The first is the "labour scarcity" argument fits perfectly with the "boom economy" backdrop that never receives any critical analysis. Read Tielmann's article from earlier this week on the loss of nearly 13,000 manufacturing jobs in B.C.

The second aspect of this "focus" by the business community is to set the stage for yet another payback at the public's expense. Take construction as an example. Hochstein's ICBA has been the major factor in undermining the apprenticeship system in B.C. It was also non-union contractors who went out of their way to damage the Fair Wage and Skills Development policy of the former government. Several took on many "apprentices" with no intention of allowing them to complete their training, but simply because they were less expensive then hiring semi-skilled labourers. Now, after having denied a whole generation of access to the trades, they are looking to "fill the gap" through temporary workers.

quote:

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Originally quoted by CUPE_Reformer:

While the Wickinninish Inn, on Vancouver Island, argued they had to bring in temporary workers because of shortages, the Empress Hotel in Victoria stated that they did not face a hiring problem because they simply paid higher wages.

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The Empress Hotel can afford to give higher wages. They charge 40 dollars for tea.

A lot of public high schools have trouble attracting teachers. Private schools like Lower Canada College don't have that problem - they simply pay higher wages.

[ 01 July 2007: Message edited by: 500_Apples ]