Tim Hortons hiring off shore - Filipino workers

[styky]

Canada's famous donut chain hiring Pinoys - Brion

03/07/2007
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/33384/Canad ... says-Brion
Canada's famous Tim Hortons coffee and donut chain has been recruiting Filipino workers, Labor Secretary Brion said Wednesday.

“They came to me last month and they are recruiting Filipinos. I think they have talked to local placement agencies already," Brion said. “In the days ahead, we more Filipino workers will be leaving for Canada."

Tim Horton, established in Hamilton, Ontario in 1964, is famous for its donuts. The store has rapidly expanded across Canada to become its largest quick-service food chain. It also has many outlets in the northeastern United States.

According to Wikipedia, Tim Hortons is often perceived to be part of the culture and national identity of Canadians.

It has franchise stores in Canadian cities and towns. The chain has expanded aggressively across most regions of Canada.

As of January 2007, there were 2,710 outlets in Canada, 336 outlets in the United States and one outlet just outside Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Tim Hortons has supplanted McDonald’s as Canada's largest food service operator; it has nearly twice as many Canadian outlets as McDonald's, and its system-wide sales surpassed those of McDonald's Canadian operations in 2002.

The chain accounted for 22.6% of all fast food industry revenues in Canada in 2005.

Tim Hortons commands 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on the number of customers served) and holds 62% of the Canadian coffee market (compared to Starbucks, in the number two position, at 7%).

Job fair

Apart from this, there are still many more job opportunities for skilled Filipino workers in Canada, Brion said in an interview on radio.

A team of Canadian employers from the province of Saskatchewan will soon be arriving for a jobs fair on March 21.

In turn, a Philippine delegation will leave for Canada to look for job prospects in the provinces of Manitoba and Alberta, Brion said in an interview on radio.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) signed in January a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Employment (MAEE) of the Province of Saskatchewan of Canada.

The agreement is set to boost linkages and “cooperation in the fields of labor, employment and human resource development," and is projected to generate at least 5,000 highly-skilled Filipino workers.

Jobs in Manitoba and Alberta

Brion said the DOLE is finalizing a similar accord with officials of Manitoba, while government executives from Alberta have also expressed interest to enter into the same arrangement.

“There are quite a number of job opportunities for Filipinos in Alberta," Brion said. Some of the workers needed include welders, machinists, truck drivers, and heavy equipment operators.

Earlier, Brion said Canada has also become an emerging alternative destination for highly skilled workers in the oil and gas industry.

The department credited the labor market demand to the development of the oil-rich central and western Canadian provinces, as the Philippines and Canada are working to strengthen their friendship through common solutions to labor and human resource challenges pursuant to their respective laws and regulations.

Remittances from Canada

Canada is the world's second largest country in area, and has an increasing volume of remittances from major economies hosting Filipino workers.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data showed that total OFW remittances from Canada reached $117.061 million in 2005, representing a growth of 73.8 percent from $67.338 million in 2004.

The labor attaché to Toronto, Canada, said the agreement between the two countries would open more jobs for the Filipinos.

“Canada's slow birth rate and graying population are factors propelling the need for overseas Filipino workers, who would also be filling up labor market requirements this time in central and western Canada amidst the development of the oil and gas industry in the area," labor officials said.

They stressed that undocumented Filipino truck drivers in the Middle East as well as highly experienced Filipino oil and gas workers could now have a chance to apply for high-paying, safe and quality job opportunities in Canada.

Apart from the demand for workers in the oil and gas industry, other opportunities, such as food crew at the McDonald's fast food chain, would be offered soon.

“Normally, these job types pay $6 to $7 per hour, but here, they pay as high as $15." the DOLE said.

POEA warning

Brions aid jobseekers interested to work in Canada should first check with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) if the placement agency they are applying with is accredited by the government agency.

Earlier, the POEA warned against illegal recruiters that have victimized a number of Filipinos.

The POEA particularly mentioned the Canadian Career Caregiver Services that has been luring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) already employed in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Dubai to apply as caregivers in Canada.

POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said CCCS promised deployment of Filipinos to Canada without going back to the Philippines. This method of recruitment, she said, could result in breach of contract of the OFWs with their present employers.

Baldoz said CCCS is neither accredited to any local recruitment agency nor registered with the POEA as a foreign principal or employer.
- GMANews.TV

[styky]

We have 15% unemployment in the Atlantic Provinces in some areas and Tim Hortons goes to the Phillipines fow workers?????????

[Manganic]

We have 15% unemployment in the Atlantic Provinces in some areas and Tim Hortons goes to the Phillipines fow workers?????????

We have a labour shortage in Alberta and Tim Hortons goes to the Phillipines for workers!

[Psycho]

We have 15% unemployment in the Atlantic Provinces in some areas and Tim Hortons goes to the Phillipines fow workers?????????

Methinks if UIC was more difficult to collect (i.e. only allowed once every five years) that the Tim Hortons in the Atlantic Provinces might not need to hire foreign workers.....

[C.Morgan]

We have 15% unemployment in the Atlantic Provinces in some areas and Tim Hortons goes to the Phillipines fow workers?????????

Methinks if UIC was more difficult to collect (i.e. only allowed once every five years) that the Tim Hortons in the Atlantic Provinces might not need to hire foreign workers.....

Something is clearly disfunctional in this country when we have such a labor crisis in one region and such unemployment in another.

As you said, we have to quit paying people to sit at home.

That kind of policy would never buy those maritime votes however.

[Clinton P. Desveaux]

Time to abolish employment insurance?

[Electric Gulag]

Last time I checked, Tim Horton's profits are through the roof. This is bullcrap. How about paying a higher wage, and include medical, dental benefits to attract workers? Yes, they might have to raise the price of a coffe ten or twenty cents.
*
It's easy for big business to sit back and claim a worker shortage when you pay minimum wage with no benefits. We're selling out the long term for the short term when we bring these foreign workers in.

[MikeEdwards]

The shocking thing is all the reasons why people are let into this country!

When you look at many of the categories which are given special consideration for letting into the country it includes bankers and engineers.

This when engineers already here can't find jobs and when the banks are all laying off. I wonder how many other occupations are used which are not in demand are given an open door policy.

Remember when it came out that exotic dancers were at the top of the open door list when the Liberals classified that as an occupation where Canada had a shortage?

[styky]

I cannot for the life of me ever consider that we have a listable shortage of people that can say "would you like one sugar or two".

Does this mean that McDonalds and Wendy's can hire off shore for a shortage of "would you like fries with that"

[Rob E]

Time to abolish employment insurance?

Tim's can do what they want. If you do not like do not get there crappy food.

I do like the idea above.

[King Rat]

Last time I checked, Tim Horton's profits are through the roof. This is bullcrap. How about paying a higher wage, and include medical, dental benefits to attract workers? Yes, they might have to raise the price of a coffe ten or twenty cents.
*
It's easy for big business to sit back and claim a worker shortage when you pay minimum wage with no benefits. We're selling out the long term for the short term when we bring these foreign workers in.

In Calgary, Tim Hortons are begging for workers. They are offering top wages ($10 - $12 / hr.) and full paid benifits and many of their outlets are closing early as they just don't have the man power to stay open late. Some outlets are offering bonuses to employees who stay for more than a month.

[Nevernever]

Last time I checked, Tim Horton's profits are through the roof. This is bullcrap. How about paying a higher wage, and include medical, dental benefits to attract workers? Yes, they might have to raise the price of a coffe ten or twenty cents.
*
It's easy for big business to sit back and claim a worker shortage when you pay minimum wage with no benefits. We're selling out the long term for the short term when we bring these foreign workers in.

I agree - we're selling out for short term gain. That being said, however: Do you really think that a higher wage, like the $15/hr offered in Alberta, plus benefits attracting many Eastern Canadian workers to a lousy service job at Timmy's in Ft. McMurray? We are terrifically spoiled, here. Put simply, Canadians want careers and a future. Whether or not we actually DESERVE them is another story...

Oops - dropped another donut...I'll just put it back in the rack...

[styky]

Last time I checked, Tim Horton's profits are through the roof. This is bullcrap. How about paying a higher wage, and include medical, dental benefits to attract workers? Yes, they might have to raise the price of a coffe ten or twenty cents.
*
It's easy for big business to sit back and claim a worker shortage when you pay minimum wage with no benefits. We're selling out the long term for the short term when we bring these foreign workers in.

In Calgary, Tim Hortons are begging for workers. They are offering top wages ($10 - $12 / hr.) and full paid benifits and many of their outlets are closing early as they just don't have the man power to stay open late. Some outlets are offering bonuses to employees who stay for more than a month.

If they are what they purport themselves to be and that's truely Canadian they would be spending the time pushing for employees from other areas of Canada instead of overseas.

[King Rat]

Last time I checked, Tim Horton's profits are through the roof. This is bullcrap. How about paying a higher wage, and include medical, dental benefits to attract workers? Yes, they might have to raise the price of a coffe ten or twenty cents.
*
It's easy for big business to sit back and claim a worker shortage when you pay minimum wage with no benefits. We're selling out the long term for the short term when we bring these foreign workers in.

In Calgary, Tim Hortons are begging for workers. They are offering top wages ($10 - $12 / hr.) and full paid benifits and many of their outlets are closing early as they just don't have the man power to stay open late. Some outlets are offering bonuses to employees who stay for more than a month.

If they are what they purport themselves to be and that's truely Canadian they would be spending the time pushing for employees from other areas of Canada instead of overseas.

Styky, I honestly believe that most Canadians really don't want to work in the fast food industry, especially when they can get work on a construction site pushing a broom (Mon. - Fri. 8am - 4pm) for $18 per hr. (entry level - no experience) with a guaranteed increase to $19 per hr. after 30 days.

[Manganic]

Time to abolish employment insurance?

Maybe phase it out over time. Seasonal work should be the first to go.