Are BC Liberal Ministers that out of touch?

This is a question that there is an obvious answer to, however on  the 16th September 2011 Merv Ritchie in the Kitimat Daily offers proof that some of them really are out of touch with reality. The article is worth a read

American Workers take rare Canadian Jobs

Today the Globe and Mail is quoting John Les (now Parlimentary Secretary to the Premier of BC Clark) with this statement on employment;

 "Everybody is looking for work around home, but (they) may not be aware that there are jobs available in Kitimat or in Terrace or Fort St. John. That's not for everybody, but if you're a young person looking for a job, maybe horizons need to be expanded a bit,"

Really? There are jobs in Kitimat but from all reports to get one and get fair benefits of the employment at the dismantling of the Smelters at the Rio Tinto Alcan site you need to be an American. Canadians are being mistreated and for every one Canadian hired at least three are from as far away as Florida.

For three months the Terrace Daily has been receiving calls from Canadian residents; those living in Terrace, Kitimat and the lower mainland complaining about the treatment and the excessive American hiring practices while locals seem to be sidestepped or mistreated to such an extent they quit. Some of the observations are quite disturbing. In one case a pair of Iron workers observed a man using a cutting torch without the proper breathing apparatus. While dismantling the smelter lines cutting torches are used to break apart the components into manageable sections. Some of this is stainless steel and almost everything has aluminum dust and pebbles around it. Stainless and aluminum give off highly toxic gasses when burnt in this high heat fashion.

The report delivered to us details how the young men in their twenties willing work without the proper masks and breathing apparatus to not look like they are not frightened to do anything. Jobs are scarce and they don’t want to lose what they have. However the American hires all have the proper gear or are in locations that are not as hazardous.

All of the demolition work is low skilled labour; forklifts, excavators, cutting torches and general labour. This is after all a destruction job, not a fine tuned smelter construction operation. Most of these tasks require a minimum of training and the other tasks which require more, such as an excavator operator and welder, could find an abundance of local BC workers. Yet today dozens upon dozens of jobs easily performed by local workers are being taken up by imported Americans.

One just has to take a short drive around Kitimat and look at all the licence plates. It is like taking an American Geography lesson.

And then there is the salt in the wound. The American workers are provided a Living Away From Home Allowance (LOA) of between $135 to $140. Canadians are expected to stay in the bunkhouses or are provided a gas stipend of $20/day. This has created an environment of disharmony and distaste.

Wages haven’t been the issue; it has been the immigration without offering to jobs to Canadians first. Some claim the Companies doing the remediation work have side stepped the rules calling almost all the new workers supervisory or highly skilled staff.

In 2002 the same type of controversy happened on the other side of the border. Canadians were hired at a higher rate than offered to the American workers in Portland, Maine. Protests outside the gates of the facility took place and the Unions were quite bluntly ‘pissed’. Hiring was happening across the border in Canada and non Union workers were brought in.

There are dozens of former Eurocan workers and ex logging company locals who are struggling to make their mortgage payments. Watching all the American plates drive by, parked at the bars and restaurants, sporting happy employed smiles would be enough to send a poor long time resident into a tizzy.

Safety standards are being sidestepped and complaining might see you out of work while a compliant son or father of a “Supervisory staff member” from Alabama will arrive to take your place.

As many of those employed now state to a new hire, “Welcome to the shit show”.

It is against the rules to bring in a camera or recording device, the place is a security lockdown. Getting to the truth and to the straight goods is a near impossibility but the evidence is with the unemployed middle aged worker in Terrace and Kitimat and the numerous USA workers now living and working at the smelter site. It doesn’t take a genius.

And what was that Minister Les said? Oh yeah,

"Everybody is looking for work around home, but (they) may not be aware that there are jobs available in Kitimat or in Terrace or Fort St. John. That's not for everybody, but if you're a young person looking for a job, maybe horizons need to be expanded a bit,"

 The appropriate response from Les would be to get his government to raid the entire site and see just what is going on there. A surprise visit with WorkSafe BC would be fun. But that would take a government with a backbone, (notice how I avoided using that other word, balls?) one that would stand up for the average British Columbian, the working stiff. But then we all know the BC Liberal record on that issue.

And Dear Mr. Les, pray tell, where are these jobs in Terrace you mention?