http://www.edmontonsun.com/Business/News/2006/12/09/pf-2703533.html
December 9, 2006
Labour tug-of-war
Atlantic provinces seek to woo back workers
By TIMOTHY LE RICHE, EDMONTON SUN
Like we didn't have enough labour-shortage problems already, now the Atlantic provinces have put together a campaign to make things worse: they're enticing their workers to "Come Home."
CareerBeacon.com, a New Brunswick advertising agency owned by Brunswick News, part of the Irving conglomerate (ubiquitous in that part of Canada), this week inserted a pullout in Alberta daily newspapers with a series of articles outlining why it's time for former Atlantic Canadians to think about returning.
BITTERLY
Jean Nadeau, CareerBeacon.com's manager, admits some people have already responded bitterly.
"We've had positive comments; we've had nasty comments," said Nadeau. "Former residents from here say, 'Hey, I'm here in Alberta, making great money, whereas I was in Newfoundland before and couldn't find a job.'
"What we're saying is, eventually you may want to come home. Maybe you've paid your debt. You might have gained experience. This is where to go."
Nadeau won't say how much CareerBeacon spent on the 40-page pullout, entitled: "Come Home to a Career in Atlantic Canada." The brochure and website not only offer stories on the growing Atlantic economies, but also the benefits of living there.
"This is a collective effort from the public and private sectors to address a fundamental issue that we're facing now," said Nadeau. "I wouldn't go as far as to say we're having shortages, but we are under increasing pressure in many occupations."
Natural resources workers and "knowledge-based" staff (computers, medicine, science) are in growing demand in Eastern Canada where at least the urban centres are experiencing economic gains.
"If you're looking at the big picture, big projects coming down the pipe over the next five years, we're talking $15 billion to $20 billion in projects, mostly in petrochemicals, exploration and mining," said Nadeau. "I.T. is still growing."
Although there is no worker shortage that compares to Alberta, Atlantic Canada has taken notice of our situation: rising project costs due to labour shortages, a hard-pressed service industry and social impacts.
SUCCESSES
"What we don't want is what happened in Alberta," said Nadeau. "You caught up with your successes."
The CareerBeacon pullout reminds Atlantic Canadians about ocean views and comparatively cheap housing.
It tells me a $1.51 cup of Tim Horton's in Calgary costs only $1.29 in New Brunswick, and tickets for the Goo Goo Dolls concert in Calgary ranged from $59 to $69, but were $10 cheaper in Moncton.
Irving Oil is poised to launch a $7-billion expansion at its Saint John refinery, a project that needs 5,000 construction workers and 1,000 permanent staff.
It all sounds familiar.
Just what we needed.
Tough competition for labour.
6 comments:
Too bad they are completely incapable of decent journalism as well. Anybody that thinks this is a 'public private partnership' is delusional. Irving simply wants construction workers, then when the construction is done...ooops, hey, I hear there are jobs in Alberta.
Too bad WE can't run some nice glossy ads out west saying "come home...for awhile". Do we really need to mention how many government jobs that $500,000 a year tax on the LNG plant would provide, or how many terminations arise from the subsidized forestry 'technology enhancements'.
I can't wait to see Plan B. Massive advertising for "Atlantica" and the 'immigrant labour' from Mexico to help build the refinery. It would have been nice to get some actual reporting from Edmonton about the Irvings.
Life here in Saint John will never improve for the workers just the billionaires. OOOps we can get away with it again; people and politicians are so gullible.
We paint a rosy picture and all these people come out and back up our bull. People are confused enough so the projects are in the works and all involved are right in the middle and can't back down. Great getting our way with tax breaks and extra money handed to us; they fear that we will fold up and go somewhere else. No where else would put up with but good old Saint John. People are laid back and actually fall for our explanations. awe use the citizens money and let all the rest roll in.
Ever think they are negative for a reason? Of course Irvings have too much money, that's a given. But more importantly they have too much power, which is far worse. It's no surprise that their initial money all came from New Brunswick resources. At least Bill Gates can say "I came up with an operating system and started selling it". Irving takes NB property and makes billions on it-all thanks to the taxpayer.
Then there's the massive pollution, in fact they just reported at the CBC that the pulp mill is breaking the law but they aren't going to do anything about it, and the government isn't even pressing charges. When's the last time you broke the law and it became public and you got a free pass?
Of course taxpayers are paying for this. It would be one thing if they at least paid the tax they owe instead of blackmailing politicians for a tax break-if that's your idea of a good corporate citizen I suggest YOU get out of the way.
Just go read some Nova Scotia papers, that province spends far more on its universities, and now Research in Motion will be providing over a thousand permanent quality jobs. Irving will be providing maybe a thousand jobs in a very dangerous, massively polluting, low paying industry. Gee, which would YOU pick?
Nova Scotia just announced that they have almost a thousand jobs coming in the financial services backoffice sector. These are high paid good jobs. That already adds up to far more permanent jobs than the refinery.
They need lots of people to build the thing, then what do you think happens to those workers? Think Irving is going to keep them on?
Not to mention that the best jobs now are knowledge based jobs where workers are in demand, that means they have more choice in where they live. Saint John is going to be so massively polluting and unsafe that knowledge based workers will avoid it like the plague.
Some of us are trying to build a New Brunswick with good jobs that are in industries that are good for people and their environment, not just temporay jobs in massively polluting industries run by fascist billionaires (if you don't believe that then just go read some history of the strike at their current refinery).
In fact its the news that is negative, but these things get challenged by people being positive. Its tough in a province run by Irvings, but life is full of surprises and only a fool thinks anything is certain.
"When's the last time you broke the law and it became public and you got a free pass?"
The Grand Manan boys practically did. A lot of others that were involved got off free too.
No, they can work for the municipal government.
I'm sorry but to blame the Irvings for the ill state of affairs in NB is insane. Yes, they are rich, but so are the McCains, so is Oprah, so are hundresds of others in Canada and North America. Without the Irvings, who would provide the thousands of jobs they provide. No, I don't work for the Irvings, however, given the opportunity to do that or go out West, I'd take the Irvings. It's a paycheck and I can stay home with my family.
Sorry, I do not support the mentality that the Irvings are all bad. Also, I'm not in support of repatriation of East Coasters. Let's employ the one's who are still here before we bring others back.
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