Losing labour to low wages

[Brerrabbit18]

An actual story on what anybody that works in the Okanagan already knew.
Surprise surprise.

[Hassel99]

What story?

Are we just supposed to guess what you are talking about or do you think it would help the discussion if you provided a link?

[alanjh595]

Losing labour to low wages

Construction-industry leaders in the Okanagan have sounded the alarm about how a shortage of tradespeople in the valley is driving up the cost of building and forcing many to wait or pay big to find contractors.

Organizations like the Southern Interior Construction Association pin the shortage on factors like retiring baby boomers and fewer young people entering the trades, but local workers say the reason is far simpler: money.

“It’s not that we don’t have the skilled people in the Okanagan, the problem is the wages,” says electrician Marnitz Kritzinger. “It’s been a problem for quite a number of years.”

Kritzinger says contractors in Northern Alberta are paying two-to-three times what their counterparts in the Okanagan are, and that's pulling tradespeople struggling to survive in the Okanagan out of the valley.

For more on why one construction company head says local wages "probably do" need to go up, as well as some hard numbers on how big the wage gap is, check out the full story on Castanet's sister business news website, Okanagan Edge.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#221680

[Muzza]

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... 680-1-.htm

Page down to view

[MCB]

Shocker!

[AlienSoldier]

There is a simple solution to this. Any person who works in Alberta but lives in BC should pay an additional 50% tax. This will make the work in Alberta the same rate as that in BC, causing trades people to stay in BC.

Its the only way we can close our borders to the outside world!

[soupy]

There is a simple solution to this. Any person who works in Alberta but lives in BC should pay an additional 50% tax. This will make the work in Alberta the same rate as that in BC, causing trades people to stay in BC.

Its the only way we can close our borders to the outside world!

This is just stupid, although I assume you were joking based on closing our borders.

This worker is boosting the BC economy much more than Alberta's. Spending all their $$ back in their home province.

Supply and demand.

If there is a strong demand for more tradesmen in your company, supply them with a decent wage.

[Snowbound]

There is a simple solution to this. Any person who works in Alberta but lives in BC should pay an additional 50% tax. This will make the work in Alberta the same rate as that in BC, causing trades people to stay in BC.

Its the only way we can close our borders to the outside world!

They already pay 3x as much income tax......do the math. Probably even more than 3x since you are in a higher tax bracket. I know lots of guys working up north making $200k+, close to $100/hr.

Hard to compare to those jobs though. There is a reason those wages are high - if they weren't, nobody would want to work them.

I look more to the wage in Red Deer and Calgary as a comparable. 30-40% more wage is a reality for every trade.

[Tradesman]

Kelowna has small city mentality. Most employers just look at their employees like cattle. It's just a revolving door of employees. The only employees that stay are because they are trapped or fear or relocating. Yeah the wages are crap here and the attitudes and power tripping is just as bad.

[AlienSoldier]

Obviously the sarcasm went over people’s head. I was drawing comparisons to those who want to ban out of province people from buying property in BC. See this is an open economy, people move, people buy things and this makes us all prosper, weather you are in Alberta, BC or Quebec. It supports all of Canada.

[steve mc]

labour shortage bring in cheap labour, just like the farm jobs heaven forbid we should have to pay people who actualy work a living wage,

[MAPearce]

labour shortage bring in cheap labour, just like the farm jobs heaven forbid we should have to pay people who actualy work a living wage,

And there's the rub , huh ? ...

Instead of paying decent wages to keep decent people and make even more decent money so they can actually afford to live and work here , the "call" for more TFW's will be loud .. Just so profit margins allow a select few to " Keep up with the Jones' "

Time to " Axe the Sunshine Tax " ..

[Urban Cowboy]

Time to " Axe the Sunshine Tax " ..

Best of luck with that endeavor. I've been paying it for over forty years, and not cared for it, but I doubt I'll see it disappear in my lifetime.

[AlienSoldier]

labour shortage bring in cheap labour, just like the farm jobs heaven forbid we should have to pay people who actualy work a living wage,

And there's the rub , huh ? ...

Instead of paying decent wages to keep decent people and make even more decent money so they can actually afford to live and work here , the "call" for more TFW's will be loud .. Just so profit margins allow a select few to " Keep up with the Jones' "

Time to " Axe the Sunshine Tax " ..

Increasing labour rates will increase costs, which will raise the cost of housing and....TADA! Your back to housing being the problem again in Kelowna.

[MAPearce]

Increasing labour rates will increase costs, which will raise the cost of housing and....TADA! Your back to housing being the problem again in Kelowna.

Horseshat.... Paying a good wage to the workers who make the select few a TONNE of loot is a long , lost idea here .....

Sad really ... Because , now , the select few are scrambling for workers .