YORKTON THIS WEEK (April 10)

Regular blog readers will have already read most of this:

It’s time for the public relations officials at the RBC to make their money.  A CBC story came out over the weekend stating that Canadian workers in Toronto are being replaced with foreign ones.  In fact, the Canadians are training these foreign people to, eventually, replace them. 

It’s a slippery slope.  Someone pointed out to me that it would be very difficult to find any product or service that doesn’t have a finger print of something foreign on it.  At the same time, having Canadians train a person from another country to steal his/her job because they will do it for less pay is just wrong.

Where does it end?  Should my employer decide to do business in a building with no heat and lights in order to cut costs or are some expenses simply the price of doing business?  I think when it comes to this particular case, the job can be done in Canada and wasn’t posing a hardship on RBC so there is no reason to change anything.  Remember, customers are paying service fees that are unlikely to be reduced after this change is made.  Therefore, the savings are going towards an already hefty profit.

Another question needs to be asked here.  Why are foreign workers less expensive?  One theory I have is that in Yorkton, I know it is not unusual for large foreign families to all live under one roof, thus greatly reducing their expenses so they don't need to make as much to live.  Is this something Canadians should start doing?  Some would say 'yes'.  I say 'no'.  That is what makes Canada such a great place to live.  The ability to EARN nice homes, large vehicles, more disposable income, etc.  In fact, I think there should be an enforced law concerning the number of people living under one roof.  Give me an incentive to do a good job and I’ll be the best employee you have ever had.  That’s my thought on it.  If I am just working for The Man with no hope of ever escaping a one bedroom apartment then you are going to get a pretty vanilla employee.

Canadians can look in the mirror when they point the blame finger.  What has happened is that we have gotten lazy and don't have as much pride in our work (or have developed a sense of entitlement) and so companies have gone overseas to hire cheaper labour.  I am assuming they figure if I am going to get less than excellent employees, I may as well pay less for it.  Let’s be honest.  The great service we are receiving from foreign workers right now could, easily, be matched by Canadians but there is a good segment of the population that thinks certain jobs are ‘beneath them’.  So, the onus is on us, as Canadian employees, to step up to the plate and make ourselves as close to irreplaceable as possible. 

I do, however, wonder who is keeping a close watch to make sure there are no qualified Canadians for some of these jobs, such as the ones in the RBC case?  In the RBC case, I would guess either nobody is watching or that particular somebody should be canned.

It reminds me of the time Air Canada lost my luggage and when I filed my claim, I talked to a person in India.  The individual couldn’t speak English very well at all and when I tried to describe my toddler son’s Scooby-Doo running shoes, I was met with complete disbelief on the other end of the phone because the person didn’t know who Scooby-Doo was.  Sure, it costs less to have the man in India find my luggage, but the experience wasn’t good. 

I am extremely upset over the news that came out last week regarding the dog cull on northern Manitoba reserves.  Apparently, people don’t take care of their ‘pets’ and they end up forming packs and then there is a ‘shoot the dogs’ day in order to keep the population down and also to protect children from these dogs as they become deadly predators.  Well, here is a thought:  if you are not cut out to have a pet then don’t have one.  Why is this such a difficult thing to grasp?  I have no idea how to fly an airplane, nor can I afford one.  So....I don’t have one in my driveway.  There is nothing right about a dog cull.  First of all, you would never see a pack of dogs in a city street such as Yorkton, so why is it allowed to occur on Manitoba reserves?  And, if there was a pack of dogs on my street in Yorkton would I be allowed to shoot them or would I have to call the proper authorities?

Is it time to start naming people, specifically, for clogging up the Gallagher Centre parking lot?  While at the game on Sunday night I was approached by a couple of whistle blowers who said they watched certain individuals park, rudely, before entering the arena.  I’m all for publishing names of the offenders.  Considers yourselves warned. 

Nice person mentions this week to Ken Maduck, Trevor Morrissey, Theresa Schmidt, Penny Sandercock, and Karen Ransome.