Alberta Business Coalition Reacts to Foreign Worker Program Fraud Allegations
The Alberta Coalition for Action on Labour Shortages (ACALS), which includes representatives from every major sector of Alberta's economy, is calling Alberta Federation of Labour allegations of widespread fraud in the accelerated stream of the federal Temporary Foreign Worker program (TFW) unduly provocative and exaggerated.
"There are perennial critics who believe the TFW program in all its forms should be eliminated completely. In an effort to turn public opinion against foreign workers and the important role they play in helping to address acute labour shortages, some critics continue to make over-stated claims in the media" stated Richard Truscott, Alberta Director of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB). Read more.
2013 Contractor of the Year Awards
Congratulations to the winners at the 2013 Contractor of the Year Awards. In partnership with Alberta Venture, Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, we all enjoyed a great evening with construction leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators. Thank you to everyone who participated and we look forward to the award ceremony in 2014.
Winners:
General Contractor – Under $50 million - Rockwood Custom Homes Inc.
General Contractor – Over $50 million - Strike Energy Services
Trade Contractor – Under $15 million - R3 Deconstruction & Demolition Inc.
Trade Contractor – Over $15 million-Vertex Resource Group Ltd.
Heavy Civil Contractor - Sprague-Rosser Contracting Co. Ltd.
Construction Person of the Year, Bill Knight from B & B Demolition was honoured for his leadership, commitment and excellence in the construction industry. Congratulations Bill!
Construction Industry Responds to Alberta's Skilled Labour Shortage Challenge
President of Merit Contractors, Stephen Kushner, addresses the skilled labour shortage in this video, and talks about ways Merit and other organizations are helping to train skilled tradespeople, and addressing productivity gaps in the industry.
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“Apprentices are highly valued by our member companies and are compensated while they complete their on-the-job training. By eliminating some of the financial burdens during the technical training period, more apprentices are able to achieve their goals” says Kushner.
“Programs such as this in support of training and developing Alberta talent will go a long way to addressing skills shortages in the construction industry.”
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Albertans Clear on Union Views
Right before the Labour Day long weekend, Merit Contractors Association is releasing a survey that reflects the opinions and attitudes held by working Albertans towards unions. The survey was conducted by Leger Marketing starting in July. The results have been compiled and if you would like to see the report, click here.
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