Evidence of meeting #138 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was workers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
I have a question on that. Sorry, I only have six minutes.
Are any temporary foreign workers eligible for EI?
Senior Director, Government Relations and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
All temporary foreign workers are eligible for EI, as well as all other social benefits and worker protections that are available to Canadians. They're treated identically in that sense.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Can you talk to me a little bit about how the EI divisor might affect a temporary foreign worker disproportionately compared with a permanent resident or a Canadian?
Senior Director, Government Relations and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
If I understand your question correctly, it's really about accessing a number of insurable hours. The reality for a lot of seasonal agricultural workers in Canada who come in through the temporary foreign worker program is that they come here to work. They put in 60-plus-hour work weeks and the vast majority would be eligible for employment insurance even at the top end of that threshold, given the number of hours they put in.
Does that answer your question?
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
It does. I just wanted to make sure that there was some coverage there.
I was also interested in the divisor because I know that is something relevant to the acute seasonal need that we hear about.
Senior Director, Government Relations and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
On the training side—because I do think that is an important part of the question and Allan certainly referenced that—there are a few elements to that. One is wraparound supports. We hear that from a lot of our members and employers in the agriculture sector, including things like transportation to and from training facilities or training opportunities and employment counselling.
Number two, I would say, is broadening eligibility, as Allan said, and looking at other types of non-traditional training activities like short-term certifications and online-based training and workshops. I would say increased awareness of training opportunities and greater emphasis on job matching for off-season workers is critical.
You also mentioned technology, and I'm really glad that you did. That is a very important part. We're certainly seeing a lot of agricultural producers across Canada adopting technology. Canada has a very high adoption rate, in fact, of technology in the agriculture sector. However, the reality is that certain types of agricultural production, such as in fresh fruits and vegetables—in particular strawberry picking is typically an example that is used—the technology is just not available at scale and at a price point that makes it easily accessible and something that most producers can adopt. This is why there is still an increased reliance on the temporary foreign worker program to fill that critical gap.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Great.
Regarding climate change and the season edges, how has climate change affected the acute seasonal need and worker?
Senior Director, Government Relations and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
There's no doubt that changes in the environment and the increasing incidence of extreme weather events have had a significant impact on Canada's agricultural production. You're seeing that across the country with droughts, wildfires, excessive rain, floods and hurricanes. Farmers really are at the coalface, so to speak. They are on the front lines of climate change, which is why we at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture have been calling for increased support in our risk management programming to support farmers to adapt and respond to these incidents of climate change.
Most recently, we've called for the government and stakeholders to get together and have a disaster relief summit. Let's get all the players around the table and have a conversation about how we're going to fill this gap, because our current suite of programs is not responsive to the increasing incidence of extreme weather across Canada.
Liberal
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses for being here.
Mr. Mondor, Tourism HR Canada commissioned a survey on the perception of tourism as a place of employment in Canada. It found that people currently working in the tourism sector are more likely to be under 30 or to be students. We also know that youth unemployment in Canada continues to rise. Young Canadians struggle to find their first job, which could be seasonal and/or part-time in many regions. Tourism has historically represented many young Canadians' first jobs.
Has the impact of inflation, debt servicing costs and ongoing tax increases hurt tourism businesses to the point where they're finding it more difficult to hire seasonal and/or part-time workers?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Tourism HR Canada
There are a lot of elements built into your question. Just as a point of clarification, in the industry itself, about 30 to 35% would be youth. That's up to 35%. The rest are older and look like most of the general population.
To your point, yes, the inflationary pressures and other dynamics around that have certainly impacted what's happening in the sector. The protracted recovery from the pandemic is still very much impacting the industry itself. Many of these businesses are micro and small businesses, with very tight cash flows and very limited revenue or profit margins. As a result, they are trying to do hiring incrementally, but they're limited in the scope at which they can do so, despite the demand for their services.
Even this past summer—to give you an example—20% of the rooms in hotels across Canada were simply not made available because they did not have staff to serve those rooms. Similarly with restaurants, the number of hours was reduced by 20% to 40%, and many restaurants were closed.
So the story goes in every case. The economic situation is really an impairment today to their bringing people back.
One program that is helping illustrate how much of a difference it can make is a government-funded program helping to subsidize student employment in summer periods. That program, the take-up on that, is in high demand. Again, I think it's an indicator of one of those stressors that you referred to.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Great. Thank you.
Is that the Canada summer jobs program?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Tourism HR Canada
It is. I have to add that the program is fundamental.
The point I made earlier, too, might be worth restating here. In the end, these are very community-based exercises that we're concerned with. That's how the businesses will look at their workforce. In any given community, particularly in the rural and remote areas, they are stressed with the demands on those workers. The youth population has been shrinking. The demand for those workers has increased in every other sector. The protracted recovery means that we have less access to them. The blend of having to tap into other workforces matters.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you very much for that.
Mr. Chair, I'd like to cede my time to Mr. Aitchison so that he can speak.
Conservative
Scott Aitchison Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thought you were going to say you weren't quite sure about that idea, but, you know, I'm okay with that.
November 26th, 2024 / 12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Scott Aitchison Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON
Thanks, Mr. Chair.
I want to move a motion that we've put on notice. I'll read it for you.
Given that, in order to save Canadians up to $50,000, reduce mortgage payments by $2,200 every year on a typical home, and build 30,000 more homes every year, the committee report to the House its recommendation to remove the federal GST on new homes sold for under 1 million dollars.
Mr. Chair, I don't think this is a surprise to anybody. It's been on notice. When 30% of the cost of a home, on average across the country, is government charges and fees, I think this would be an important move by the federal level to lead by example, to get other levels of government to reduce their charges and fees on the cost of a home as well. When you think about 30%, you realize there are people borrowing money to pay their government charges and fees. A portion of their home purchase would be borrowing money, especially if they have a CMHC-insured mortgage, for example. You can imagine that's pretty crazy.
We think this is actually a really smart move. It's a way of leading by example, and we think that we should report this to the House.
I would like to move that the motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
The motion is in order. It's on the floor.
Witnesses, it's Mr. Aitchison's prerogative to move this motion, which is in order. We have to deal with it before we can return to you.
Mr. Fragiskatos, you had your hand up. I don't see anybody else.
Liberal
Peter Fragiskatos Liberal London North Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair.
Witnesses have taken the time to be here today. I think we should show them the respect of giving them time to put comments on the record on an important study that Ms. Chabot has championed for a long time.
With that, Mr. Chair, I move to adjourn debate on the motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
I have a motion to adjourn debate.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
Debate on that has adjourned.
We'll now move to Mr. Cormier for five minutes.
Liberal
Serge Cormier Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Laliberté, you were talking earlier about a uniform rate of 420 hours and the divisor 14 for all of Canada. I understand very well what you mean, because I've been saying for nine years that it's not necessarily the eligible hours that are problematic. According to a sampling I've done in my region with fish processing plants and tourist attractions, the majority of workers are eligible for EI.
Given the pilot projects that are in place, namely the five additional weeks of benefits that are coming to an end and the four additional weeks that we hope will be renewed, those people can get through the off-season.
I think the divisor is what's causing the most problems for people in my region right now, because of the drop in their benefits. Like it or not, it reduces the number of weeks of eligibility, but it's offset by pilot projects for additional weeks of benefits.
A number of businesses in my region are also looking to hire people in various sectors after the seasonal work period, such as fishing or tourism. How do we find that middle ground? We know that people who have been working in the same seasonal fields for years are eligible for the four and five additional weeks of benefits pilot projects.
Changing the zones, the formula or whatever is a complex process. I think there's a simple way to fix it, and I'd like your opinion on that. Couldn't we create an EI category called “other”? For example, a seasonal worker would have a lower eligibility threshold than a worker in another sector. Even in the case of a self-employed worker who has to comply with certain laws that have been amended, do you think that would be a possible quick and effective solution to make it easier for some people to qualify for employment insurance?
Right now, like you, I say everywhere I go that I fear that our rural regions are emptying out at the expense of our seasonal industries, which are vital to us and our economy, just as the automotive industry is to Ontario. The 18 fish processing plants in my area are important.
Do you think that minor changes could be made, without this evening being very legislatively heavy, to help these categories of workers qualify more easily for employment insurance?
Commissioner for Workers, As an Individual
Your suggestion is a very good one. As you no doubt know, in order to qualify for the pilot project as a seasonal worker, you have to show that, in the past five years, you applied for EI three times and twice during the same period of the year.
Not only does this flawed and convoluted method end up excluding young people, for instance, who you want to keep in your region, who might want to work in these industries, but who can't qualify as “seasonal”. The solution you're proposing would be perfect, because then you would have a reason on the record of employment that would say, for example, “seasonal layoff” or “lay off of a seasonal employer”. That would be a huge help to the administration.
In addition, a seasonal worker who works in the agricultural sector with Mr. Melvin and Mr. Berrigan, for instance, could do temporary work in the off-season and leave it to return to seasonal employment—
Commissioner for Workers, As an Individual
—without penalty. However, at the moment, the burden of proof is on the claimant. Let's take the example of someone who accepts a part-time job for 10 hours a week. However, if that work is permanent, it will be presumed that that person will have left a permanent job for a seasonal job. The claimant's hours can be rejected, which is a prejudice.
Workers in these sectors are well aware that they are at risk in doing so. This is the tail wagging the dog. Instead of encouraging people to try things, we prevent them.