Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would say yes to that question. In fact, we have been saying to the government that it should create those streams because there is currently an exclusion of so-called low-wage people who are interested in immigrating to Canada. They still have to come up with that.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for your question. I think it's very important that all workers, but especially migrant workers, understand their rights when they're in Canada and how to exercise those rights. The problem is that when you have a closed work permit, it doesn't matter what shiny strong rights you might award to them—which is what I said earlier in my statement—because if they don't have the ability to actually use them and fight for them, then it's very difficult.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think there are examples across different countries, but I also think we have a system that we're very invested in. We need to look at revamping the temporary foreign worker program so that, as I said before, it's up to date and we are indeed being very competitive with other countries.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I understand that. First of all, I do think that there needs to be a big revamp of the program, but the other thing, which we've mentioned before, is the IMP, the international mobility program. That program has open work permits. It has people picking apples, people providing child care and people doing all sorts of so-called low-wage work, yet we're not fussing and worrying about where those folks end up.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  There is no differential. They brought 47% of those employers into compliance. That's how it added up to a bigger number. As I said, there's a section that was compliant, and there was a section that they brought into compliance. Then there was a section that wasn't compliant. My issue here is that 70%, to start off with, are non-compliant.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  First of all, I think for someone making so little money, even 10¢ more an hour makes a big difference. That's crossing that situation you described. In terms of the investment of the employers, the issue is that the program was designed for employers in the 1950s. I think attitudes have changed and the program must change with them.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think people should have rights and should be able to practise those rights. It is important to give them opportunities to immigrate permanently. I don't believe there should be a two-step process. I don't know if that was part of what you were looking for in an answer, but I don't think there should be a two-step process with a differential system whereby permanent immigrants on a high-skilled stream can come in without having to work for two or three years to prove themselves.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for the question. As I said in my statement, we actually concur with the statement from the UN envoy's report. What he said was, “the agricultural and low-wage streams of the...(TFWP) constitute a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery”, which is, in my mind, a way of saying the program is structured to allow really nasty practices that harm workers.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  If you were to invite ESDC to testify about the inspections they made and the numbers...right off the bat, the program in the last fiscal year, of the cases they inspected—that's based on high risk, so someone phoned the tip line, for instance—shows that only 30% of employers were compliant.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The priority should be to put everything in place to protect the rights of the migrant worker in whatever the situation, whether it's on farms, in your corner store or in a manufacturing facility. I think if all the holes were plugged, so to speak, then the need for the inspections to be a stick wouldn't be necessary.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Good afternoon, Chair and committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. The Canadian Labour Congress advocates on national issues on behalf of three million working people. Today, I am here with members of UFCW, an affiliate of the Canadian Labour of Congress.

International Trade committee  Yes. The CLC actually works very closely with unions like the USW. We work with other unions, actually, on both sides of the border. That's where we exert our best contribution and most powerful contribution to the conversation and to policy development and to trade.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much for the question. I will just quickly say that policy certainty was definitely part of my presentation today. Especially in the auto areas, we—the unionized auto sector—embraced the opportunities that the IRA presented in terms of EVs, batteries and all of that.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much. I would also say that what you've listed off are useful programs that were introduced in the FES. I also would say that this is what I prefaced in my remarks. There are bits in budget 2022 and bits in the FES. In the FES, the Government of Canada tried to respond a little bit to the IRA.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much for your question. I think that the magnitude of the IRA and the amount of money in the IRA is pretty mind-blowing. Quite frankly, it's not just about Canada. It is something that everyone else is paying attention to around the globe. I think we need to know what we're dealing with, which is what I said previously.