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May 14,2006 - May 21,2006 |
Construction workers rally on immigration
Worker unions say sector needs fewer restrictions and fewer deportations
By Luigi de Biase
Originally Published: 2006-04-23
The Universal Workers Union is putting out a call for a large, peaceful rally.
At a table of Local 183, the representatives of 35,000 construction workers held their press conference to express their concern with the position of the Federal Government on immigration and the consequences that Stephen Harper's policy could have on the construction industry.
Right now, explained union organizer Dario Di Sante, foreign workers who apply for a Canadian visa receive a point assessment based in large part on their education.
This puts construction workers at a disadvantage, since carpenters or drywallers seldom hold degrees or diplomas. As a result, the available manpower pool shrinks by the day due to the scarcity of new immigrants, workloads increase, and construction sites risk lacking staff when activity would normally become more intense.
"We don't need people with degrees," said Local 183 Business Manager Tony Dionisio. "We need people who know how to do these jobs and are willing to work hard. There are a lot of people like that out there, but they cannot legally enter Canada. The Government must intervene and solve a situation that's rapidly becoming intolerable."
This issue has recently been compounded with deportations. People from South America and Eastern Europe, after years of work in Canada, are being forced to leave the country. Many of them had found jobs in construction, but this is more than simply a matter of employment: this is an issue of humanity.
"These are honest people who have homes, cars, families here, who paid their taxes and behaved honestly," continued Dionisio. "They must be given a chance to continue living and working here. Canada needs new immigrants, or it will have to face serious problems in the next quarter century. Forecasts tell us that Toronto will grow to 3 million residents. Who will build their houses? The situation that looms ahead is a sign that the system is not working, and this is a shame for our country."
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