Description: A lawyer representing two unions told the Federal Court that Chinese workers brought to northern B.C. appear to make as much as $17 an hour less than Canadian workers.

Source: CBC

Date: 11/16/2012

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/11/16/bc-coal-miners-union-court.html

Related links:

• Earlier CBC story

• Globe and Mail story

• Federal government to review foreign worker program

• Prof. David Doorey on the program

• The Temporary Foreign Worker Program

• The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 115

• The Construction and Specialized Workers\’ Union (Labourers), Local 1611

Questions for discussion:

• What are the two unions asking the court to do?

• Who is opposing the unions in court and what do they argue?

• Which side do you think has the most persuasive case? Why?

• Why is the federal government reviewing this program?

• Prof. David Doorey asks: “Should Canadian employers be required to pay that rate required to attract workers to remote areas of Canada, even if that rate is higher than the employer would like to pay?” What do you think?