The fall-out of the changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program are already being felt by employers and employees in the fast food sector of the labour industry.
The changes were announced by the federal government in August and include language that says employers can now hire only a maximum of 10 per cent of their workforce through the TFW program, specifically in the low-wage stream. At the time, minister of employment, Randy Boissonnault, said the changes would “prioritise Canadian workers and ensure Canadians can trust the program is meeting the needs of our economy.”
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However, Meagan Zuber, general manager of seven Tim Hortons locations in the Ajax division, disagrees.
“It’s great for the government to want us to prioritise Canadians, but we don’t necessarily have those individuals applying to our restaurants. I would say 90 per cent to 100 per cent of those resumes I get on any given day are students who have come here from another country to study,” said Zuber. “We need people to want to come in to work and we’re just not receiving those types of resumes from Canadians.”
“Across the country, immigrants make up more than half (51 per cent) of business owners with paid staff in the food and beverage sector,” reads a federal government report from July 5, 2024.
“This will be a massive shift to our workforce. I would say anywhere from 75 per cent to 80 per cent of the team members behind our counters are immigrants, whether as a student or someone working towards permanent residency,” said Zuber.
The government also announced that the maximum employment duration for workers in the low-wage stream will be reduced from two years to one year.
According to Zuber, since the workforce is primarily made up of individuals from the TFW program, most managers face a significant decline in service quality. “We’re going to see a very big downfall for us, really. We won’t be able to provide the service that we currently are.”
Boissonnault says the goal of the Canadian government is to make employers in Canada prioritise hiring from diverse groups, including young people, newcomers, and individuals with disabilities.
According to the federal government’s news release, the TFW Program has been misused to avoid hiring Canadian workers. To address this, Boissonnault met with business groups and announced that the government is planning to reduce access to the program and increase compliance checks to prevent misuse and fraud.
Boissonnault says the government will continue to support businesses in finding workers and ensuring Canadians have access to training and educational opportunities.
President of Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Mohamed Lachemi, commented on the concerns of university students about their future prospects following the announcements in an emailed statement to OTR.
“We understand that this news can cause anxiety, however, it is important to note that it is highly unlikely that university graduates in Canada, including those from TMU, would be directly impacted by these developments,” wrote Lachemi in the statement.
According to Lachemi, the university is committed to supporting its international students and will ensure they can continue their studies and career pursuits without any interruptions.
Reporter, On The Record, Fall 2024.
