Letter Regarding Recent Changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP)
April 22, 2024 | Documents
The National Cattle Feeders’ Association, along with industry partners, submitted a letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages regarding the recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP).
The recent changes to the TFWP announced on March 21 are emblematic of a larger issue; a fundamental disconnect between the agri-food sector and the immigration and employment ministries. Recent comments, such as the suggestion that our sector is inappropriately reliant on temporary foreign workers, are concerning and mislead the public. Employers must demonstrate the lack of available Canadian workers for the position in question before participating in the program. Agri-food employers go to considerable lengths to recruit Canadians, before going to further lengths, cost and uncertainty to recruit from abroad. Minister Miller’s recent comments, that Canadians have become “addicted” to TFWs undermines the legitimacy of the program. Industry, through forums like CAHRC, are working together with the Government of Canada to solve the food sectors labour challenges in the long-term, but announcements like these, with conceivably no consultation with our industry, undermines these efforts.