I have been working in the construction industry as an electrician for over 20 years and there is no shortage of tradespeople by any means.
There is, however, a major effort from both the corporations and government to destroy the position of our unions. I always find it interesting how workers themselves so easily participate in their own degradation by going along with greedy corporations. This includes our own government.
When a government blocks unions’ right to strike, then they have empowered corporations’ greediness. The unions are always working at trying to bring a good balance between corporate profit and a fair compensation for the skilled professional.
In my union alone, The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 213, we have a system that when our own local is unable to fill calls for skilled professionals they call up other locals, and if need be they can go right across Canada because our union is nation-wide.
Just recently I participated in such a call from the Edmonton, Alberta Local 424, and there were a number of skilled professionals that helped to fill this call.
The non-union system reaches for the foreign workers and then tries to say there is a shortage. This is not a true picture. There is not a shortage of skilled professionals; only a surplus of greed and power.
How many homes and jets and toys does one person need? In the end, even with all the toys, it still is not enough. There are after all many families who would be thankful to have a home and to them it would have great meaning and purpose.
One has to work towards balance because this creates the maximum amount of enjoyment for the majority, and not the other way around.
Peter Goertzen, Surrey