COMMENT

"Ontario, employers and unions

Over the past several months, I have been focusing on Ottawa’s mishandling of  the GTHA’s worker immigrant issues.

The federal issues will soon come to a head. Rocco Galati will shortly be filing our Federal Court application.

While the court deliberates, practical solutions must be found.

Queen’s Park is the key to any progress.

Ontario is the only province which has failed to set up a system to determine its foreign trade’s worker priorities.

Until Ontario steps up, Ottawa will, perhaps rightly, assume that Ontario does not want any legal foreign trades workers.

Ontario’s silence will be taken as acceptance of the status quo.

Ottawa has made it clear that the status quo is not an option. The new reality for  skilled workers starts January 1, 2015. Ontario is not part of the new order.   

So what motivates Ontario’s reticence to get involved with any immigration strategy, let alone foreign skilled workers? What motivates Ontario to stand alone as a province unwilling to determine its own workforce?

The reasons are both historic and ongoing sectoral self interest.

The province’s historical reasoning is in fact an excuse, not an explanation.

Queen’s Park’s thinking on immigration predates the British North America Act of 1867. The Fathers of Confederation gave the province a 50-50 say in immigration and absolute control over every aspect of the trades. Ontario apparently does not accept that the BNA Act was actually enacted.

Queens’ Park is content to live in colonial times…The colonial masters in Ottawa wrongly exert pre 1867 absolute control over immigration, job site safety, local language issues, local business management, local union affairs and the colony of Ontario accepts whatever is dished out.

Refusing to take responsibility for constitutional obligations is not the hallmark of a responsible government.

Sectoral self interest must also be re examined. The time has come when legitimate trades employers and unions must look in the mirror and ask themselves three simple questions:

“Is there any overriding logic in assuming that illegal workers serve any legitimate trades employer’s or unions  sustainable interest? “

“Does any legitimate trade’s employer or union think that it makes sense to take on Ottawa alone as the feds unilaterally change the rules of the game concerning illegal and non English speaking workers?”

“Why do we fear being investigated by Ottawa for our hiring illegal workers? Ottawa created the problem. Ontario sat by. Government created the problem. Government should fix the problem. Why should the province allow us to be threatened with federal investigations? 

The cost of Ontario ignoring the rules of the game are quantified in the Corriere Canadese.

The consequences of Ontario doing nothing to stand up for its legitimate employers and unions are reviewed in the Corriere Canadese.

Ontario and its trades sectors have a choice. They can either accept or they can ignore the numbers and policy analysis presented by the Corriere Canadese.

If they accept the numbers and analysis then its time for the province to enter the 21^st century with an immigration strategy.

If they ignore the numbers and analysis then January 1 2015 will be the kick off  for the legitimate  employers and unions to bend over and enjoy the experience as Ottawa does what it says it will do.

Enjoy."

Richard Boraks, November 14,2014