Victoria McDonalds Franchisee Investigated

Abusing the temporary foreign workers program?

A Victoria McDonalds franchise operator is being investigated by both the Federal government and McDonalds Restaurants after an employee complained of unfair treatment of Canadian workers.

The employee claimed the employer was paying foreign workers more than their Canadian counter parts as well as giving the foreign workers more hours. A Vancouver Sun article says the franchisee employs 155 workers in three restaurants, 26 of whom are foreign. If found guilty of lying to authorities the franchise owner could face financial penalties and even jail time.

Foreign workers needed in food services? Really?

While Canada has in fact had to go abroad to fill different labour shortages in the oil patch, major construction projects and the like, it came as a surprise we aren't producing enough 'burger-flippers' to meet the demand of the industry.

In BC McDonalds employs 343 temporary foreign workers which represents 3.8% of the company's workforce. In the province Ottawa has authorized 5035 temporary foreign workers to fill vacancies in the accommodation and food services sector in 2012.

If you consider all the extra effort an employer has to go through in order to hire a temporary foreign worker, it would seem there is a fundamental problem here in Canada we really need to pay more attention to. I can't imagine an employer going to the time and trouble it must take to recruit and bring in a temporary foreign worker if they had any choice.

Due to the 'political' nature of the topic some people I know are not willing to speak 'on the record', but they have told me of the headaches they have trying to run a business with some of the entitled divas they have to deal with in the fast food business. Not showing up for work, refusing work and a general attitude that because the job doesn't pay as much as they think they are worth, they give a minimum effort.

One person told me the reason they finally quit the fast food management business was because of the 'diva factor'. People with no particular skills who think they are doing you a favour by simply showing up for work.

As a country we have pretty much lost our competitive edge in the manufacturing business (find something not made in China), and now it seems we are having to bring in foreign workers to keep our accommodation and food services sector functioning? We have never been able to bring in our crops without importing agricultural workers, and skilled trades shortages are just a matter of fact, but to think we now have a burger-flipper shortage is a real head-shaker.