Evidence of meeting #34 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was worker.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Okay. So there are industry standards for all the different jobs. You were mentioning not just housekeeping, but also chefs. Are there the same kinds of numbers?
10:50 a.m.
Manager, Operations, Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council
The wage would be higher for chefs and line cooks, obviously. It's a different level of experience that's required.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
So the industry standard is that level. If a hotel like this one wants to pay $9 instead of $10.35, are they able to sponsor a person? Yes? No?
10:50 a.m.
Manager, Operations, Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council
No, you have to pay the same rate that you would pay anybody else you're hiring. You can't go below that rate.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
No, I know that, but if you stayed at this rate.... Let's say, Tim Hortons—back to Tim Hortons, as an example—normally pays $7, or whatever, depending on where it is, but the industry standard is $10, Tim Hortons can pay $7.50.
10:50 a.m.
Director, Human Resources Branch, Prince George Hotel
As long as it's minimum wage. But in order to get an approval—
10:50 a.m.
Director, Human Resources Branch, Prince George Hotel
That's right, they could pay $6.50. But in order to get a labour market opinion approval from Service Canada to recruit temporary foreign workers, this is the average wage. You cannot pay below this wage. They give us the wage based on the information that's provided by business.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
So if the housekeeping staff rate is $10.35, no hotel can actually pay less than $10.35.
10:50 a.m.
Manager, Operations, Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council
Correct.
10:50 a.m.
Director, Human Resources Branch, Prince George Hotel
For a temporary foreign worker, absolutely, that's correct.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
I see. Got you.
And $10.35 would also be the average you would pay a Canadian worker.
10:50 a.m.
Director, Human Resources Branch, Prince George Hotel
It would be different, based on position.
10:50 a.m.
Director, Human Resources Branch, Prince George Hotel
For housekeeping here in Nova Scotia.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
The average for housekeepers, whether you are a temporary foreign worker or Canadian-born, is $10.35.
10:55 a.m.
Director, Human Resources Branch, Prince George Hotel
That's correct. It's $10.35, and that number comes from Service Canada.
10:55 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Only 20 seconds. Okay, I'll skip. I don't think I'll be able to get started about the construction phase.
10:55 a.m.
A voice
Not much time for a response.
