‘Industry cannot afford to lose its 16,365 temporary foreign workers,’ says Martin Vézina
While the Quebec Restaurant Association (ARQ), like the rest of the hospitality sector and many other businesses in Quebec, is advocating for more flexible rules surrounding temporary foreign workers, the ARQ says the Quebec government has just thrown another wrench into the works for restaurant, institutional and other key players in the food service industry.
According to the trade and lobby group, the position of cook has been removed from the provincial government’s list of jobs eligible for simplified processing by the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity.
In practical terms, this means that employers looking for cooks will have to post their job openings again for four weeks – often without receiving any resumes.
Inconsistent gov’t policy
“Four weeks added to an already lengthy, complex and costly process, demonstrates the government’s inconsistency,” the ARQ says in a statement. “While acknowledging a labor shortage in this position, the government is taking entirely contradictory actions,” they add.
The ARQ says restaurant owners are still struggling to recruit trained and experienced employees, especially full-time ones, and this is why owners have no choice but to look abroad to find these staff.
One long-standing observation the ARQ’s members have made is that even if the unemployment rate is higher in some regions – and one might think that workers are therefore available for given positions – many Quebecers are actually no longer as interested as before in jobs requiring that they work on weekends.
This is in spite of the fact that customers are known to frequent dining rooms primarily on Friday and Saturday evenings, according to the ARQ.
Service could suffer this summer
The organization says it is concerned about the quality of service for the upcoming tourist season, as many restaurants will be unable to offer the capacity and speed of service customers are accustomed to, particularly in regions with high tourism potential.
Without the staff needed to cover all opening hours, restaurant owners may have to reduce their hours to give their existing staff some respite, the ARQ maintains, adding that visitors may end up having to rely on supermarkets, where available, as well as convenience stores for groceries.
“We are incredulous at this latest announcement,” said Martin Vézina, vice-president for public and government affairs at the ARQ. “It demonstrates, once again, the lack of understanding at all levels of government regarding the issue of temporary foreign workers and their essential role in our industry.
Treated as a second-tier
“The restaurant industry, which was considered an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic, now seems to be treated as a second-tier industry in Quebec’s economy, which is unacceptable,” he added. “We are asking the Ministers of Employment and Social Solidarity, as well as Immigration, Francization and Integration, to reconsider their decision and reinstate our trades on the simplified processing list.”
Vézina said the ARQ is also urging the ministries to work with the association to secure a grandfather clause from the federal government for the renewal of temporary foreign workers. “The industry cannot afford to lose its 16,365 temporary foreign workers in the province without devastating consequences,” said Vézina.
Open letter calls for policy reversal
In an open letter from the ARQ as well as Tourisme Montréal and the Association hôtelière du Grand Montréal published in early February in Montreal’s La Presse, the three trade groups said they were “sounding the alarm” over the abandonment of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ).
“We strongly support Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez-Ferrada’s request to implement a grandfather clause for international workers and students already in Quebec so they can apply to the PEQ,” they said. “Without this measure, the repercussions would be significant, not only for the tourism, hospitality, and restaurant sectors, but also for the entire Montreal and Quebec economies.”
PEQ became ‘an essential tool,’ says ARQ
“Since its inception, the PEQ has become an essential tool for attracting and retaining international talent, particularly in the tourism, hospitality, and food service sectors,” they continued. “It has enabled foreign graduates and temporary workers to settle in Quebec, directly helping to address the labor shortage and enrich the cultural fabric of our metropolis.
“In a context where a moratorium already prevents the renewal of work permits for many foreign workers, abandoning the PEQ would exacerbate a recruitment crisis that is already critical for our industry. We call on political decision-makers to reconsider abandoning the PEQ and to collaborate closely with our sector to preserve Montreal’s prosperity and attractiveness. The future of our industry and that of our metropolis depends on it.”
