Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, when used as intended, is a valuable initiative that helps Canadian trucking companies access foreign labor in times of high demand, when Canadian drivers are in short supply.
This may not be the case today, given the persistent freight recession that has obliterated demand for trucking jobs, but make no mistake – trucking’s labor shortage will return. There aren’t a lot of farm kids these days clamoring to be over-the-road truck drivers.
Unfortunately, a lack of oversight has attracted fraud and abuse to the program, like flies and maggots to a decaying carcass. Fleet leaders with no moral compass, abetted by greasy-palmed immigration “consultants” have turned the program into a money-making, dream-killing scheme.
Foreign drivers with big ambitions and visions of a better life here have been widely exploited, forced to pay extortionist fees for Labor Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) that should be paid for by the employer, put into shoddy equipment and encouraged to run illegally in what has been described by the United Nations as a form of modern-day slavery.
This isn’t how it’s meant to be. No one is more upset about the abuse that takes place – and you can read more about that here – than the employers who have first-hand experience with the program.
Take Doug Walton, senior advisor, member services with the Alberta Motor Transport Association, as an example. He visited Europe and Jamaica while working for a fleet involved in the program and saw first-hand how it can provide life-changing benefits to drivers while addressing real labor needs at home.
“At that time, the program not only provided life-changing opportunities for individuals seeking a better future in Canada – it also helped us fill critical gaps in our driver workforce,” he recounted. “Some of the best drivers I’ve worked with came through that program. A lot of them are now proud Canadian citizens, who have built a great life for themselves and their families. Getting to be a part of their journey was honestly one of the best parts of my career.”
Abuse ‘deeply personal’
Abuse of the program, to Walton, is “deeply personal.” He adds, “The ones who suffer the most are those who’ve sold everything for a chance at a better life, only to be misled, exploited, and sent home with nothing. That’s not the Canada we should be.”
Trevor Bent, CEO of Eassons Transport, also takes it personally when he hears of TFW abuse. The company has been involved in the program since 2012, and three of the first foreign workers it brought to Canada are still with the company today. Other foreign workers who came to Eassons under the program have gone on to become owner-operators, business owners, and permanent residents, Bent told me.
The program has merit. But it needs to be reformed, to protect foreign workers and also Canadian jobs. After all, carriers that abuse temporary foreign workers often withhold wages and run illegally, enabling them to undercut the rates of compliant carriers.
Employers need to be pre-vetted before participating, to ensure they’re compliant with labor laws and run safe operations. It’s insane to think this isn’t the case today.
Compliant carriers welcome increased oversight
The companies that participate in the TFW program responsibly are begging for such reforms. They want to be vetted. They want ongoing audits and are willing to pay for them. They welcome increasingly punitive monetary penalties for non-compliance. They want to be scrutinized.
They also fear such rampant abuse of the program will lead to an overreaction by policymakers, maybe even the outright cancellation of the program. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to reforming the TFW program.
It can and should be fixed, not killed, and the carriers that use the program as intended are more than willing to help implement needed fixes. Let’s get on with it so we’re ready to reap the benefits of the program when the driver shortage again rears its head, as well all know will happen in time, without leaving a trail of human destruction in our wake.
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