A national advocacy group for the restaurant industry is pushing back against Premier David Eby’s call to change or scrap Canada’s temporary foreign worker (TFW) program.
Eby spoke out about the issue last week, backing federal Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre’s recent calls to scrap the program.
“The temporary foreign worker program is not working. It should be cancelled or significantly reformed,” said Eby.
He said it’s important to protect employment opportunities for young people in British Columbia and across Canada.
Eby singled out the restaurant industry more explicitly in part of a speech he posted to social media on Monday. He pointed to a Vancouver Starbucks and a Richmond Boston Pizza, saying both were seeking a Labour Market Impact Assessment for manager positions.
“I don’t believe they can’t find a British Columbian on their team to promote to manager,” said Eby.
He said the TFW program is failing to prevent abuse and exploitation of workers by “predatory employers.”
Restaurants Canada issued a statement Wednesday, saying Eby’s comments are missing the reality of the food service industry in British Columbia.
It said B.C. food service industry employs nearly 183,000 British Columbians and represents one in five youth jobs, but some restaurants turn to TFWs due to location, such as rural, remote or tourist regions, or due to skills gaps.
“Chefs and cooks make up the majority of TFWs in food service. These are skilled workers that require specific training and we don’t have the domestic labour supply to meet demand,” the group said.
It also noted 24-hour businesses, like highway comfort stations, have a hard time staffing overnight shifts and may resort to the TFW program.
It said TFWs represent just three per cent of foodservice workers in Canada, but without them, many restaurants would have to reduce hours or even close their doors.
Temporary foreign workers are non-permanent residents with employment income in Canada who may hold permits for work, study or other purposes.
The federal program allows employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when qualified Canadians are not available. Employers requesting permission to hire temporary foreign workers must include Labour Market Impact Assessments to determine the likely effect these workers would have on the Canadian labour market.
Restaurants Canada said temporary foreign workers are always a last resort as it is much easier and less costly to hire local talent. It said it can take more than a year and cost nearly $9,000 to recruit a single worker.
“Restaurants Canada agrees that there are changes to be made to the TFW program in order to ensure it supports Canadian and foreign workers and aligns with our economic needs. But those changes should not be made without consulting the businesses they will impact and taking into account the real gaps that exist in Canada’s labour market,” the group said.
Federal data show there were over 18,000 temporary foreign workers positions in B.C. at the beginning of 2024. That number fell to 11,750 in the first months of this year.
Eby said last week Prime Minister Mark Carney has “taken some good steps to reign in the excesses of the immigration program from the last administration,” but more needs to be done.
Carney said Wednesday his government is reviewing the program, but he said temporary foreign workers are important for Canadian businesses.
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