Seafood plants able to hire more temporary foreign workers this year
From the CBC
The federal government has removed restrictions on the number of temporary foreign workers seasonal employers can hire in 2016. The previous Conservative government had placed a cap on the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers employers could hire. The current cap is 20 per cent of an employer’s workforce, dropping to 10 per cent on July 1, 2016.
But last month the new Liberal government provided an exemption to the cap for all seasonal industries which employ workers for a maximum of 180 days. Those employers still have to undergo a labour market assessment for each position to confirm the job cannot be filled locally, but for 2016 there’s no limit to the number of foreign workers they can bring in under the program.
“We’ve heard from groups across Canada that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program needs to change, including from businesses. A small number of businesses in certain sectors tell us they need more flexibility to meet their workforce needs,” said a written statement from Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk.
Atlantic seafood processors were lobbying government to allow them to hire more foreign workers. Dennis King, executive director of the P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association, said a deal was reached at the end of last month after the Maritime Seafood Coalition met with officials in Ottawa.