As part of
consultations – which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
recently wrapped up – CTA signaled its strong support for a robust immigration
system that is responsive to the Canadian economy.
The trucking industry has one of the highest job vacancy
rates and the oldest workforce in the country. The acute labour shortage
in the industry is well
documented and presents as one of the biggest
threats to long term economic recovery and
stability.
Trucking’s
labour shortages affect all Canadians and all Canadian businesses both directly
and indirectly. In turn, trucking has a much larger economic multiplier than
most other sectors – meaning investments made in trucking’s labour force pays
some of the highest dividends to Canada’s overall economy.
The
submission also made comments on key programs like Express Entry, the Temporary
Foreign Worker Program, and concepts such as ‘Known Employer’ programs. When it
comes to express entry, the CTA submission laid out both short- and
longer-term reforms that could be made to better allow the program to be
responsive to the trucking industry’s needs.
“As IRCC
and the Government of Canada know, the economy and the skills that are most
needed to sustain it are changing. The Express Entry program itself is also
changing with the inclusion of occupations like trucking, which have
historically been excluded from these types of programs” said Jonathan
Blackham, CTA’s Director of Policy and Public Affairs.
As the NOC
system itself has changed to better categorize and recognize the true
classification of occupations, Blackham says immigration programs like Express
Entry will need to similarly adapt to ensure the most in-demand jobs,
like truck drivers, are being prioritized.
Long
standing issues relating to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
process, processing times, consistency of service, among others, were also
raised as part of the submission. In addition, CTA highlighted labour abuses
and issues relating to Driver Inc., employee misclassification and other
schemes that seek to suppress and manipulate workers in our sector. This is why
CTA has been a longstanding champion of the Government’s proposal to bring in
Trusted/ Known Employer programs that would involve detailed vetting of
participating companies to ensure that newcomers are being treated and paid
fairly.
The
submission also contained detailed information on trucking’s role as an
essential service, its position as the lead freight mode, and its overall
importance to the Canadian economy. The submission also discussed relevant
public opinion polling, and the business case for improved access to key
immigration programs and pathways.