Wage Suppression Skilled Trades: Temporary Foreign Workers & Undocumented Labour

In Meeting No. 36 of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM), Conservative MP Kyle Seeback presses witnesses on the impact of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on Canadian tradespeople. With over 127,000 unemployed Canadians holding trade certificates in 2025, yet nearly 126,000 temporary foreign workers entering in skilled tiers (0-3), the discussion highlights real concerns about wage suppression, reduced incentives to hire Canadians, weakened workplace protections, and the exploitation of undocumented workers on federally funded projects.Witnesses from the building trades share on-the-ground stories: the removal of union consultation safeguards in 2018, contractors preferring cheaper temporary or undocumented labour (sometimes with fake credentials), cash-under-the-table payments, identity theft on job sites, and tragic cases of injured workers denied proper care. The exchange underscores the tension between growing Canada's domestic skilled labour pool — including young Canadians, women in trades, and new Canadians — versus reliance on temporary foreign workers.Source: Official proceedings from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM), Meeting No. 36, held June 3, 2026 in West Block, Room 025-B. Available via ParlVu (parlvu.parl.gc.ca).Fair Use / Transformative Statement: This video provides edited highlights and context from public parliamentary proceedings to help Canadians better understand federal policy impacts on employment, immigration, and the trades. It adds value through curation, timing, and accessibility while presenting full exchanges without misleading edits or out-of-context clipping.If you're concerned about skilled trades shortages, wage stagnation, or how immigration policy affects Canadian workers, drop your thoughts in the comments below What reforms would you like to see?Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more unfiltered breakdowns of Canadian federal politics and committee work. New videos weekly.#CIMM #TemporaryForeignWorkers #SkilledTrades #CanadianImmigration #WageSuppression #HouseOfCommons 00:00 - Introduction and Unemployment Statistics in Skilled Trades 01:01 - Removal of Union Consultation in the TFW Process (2018) 01:36 - The Importance of Reinstating Union Consultation 02:26 - How Union Consultation Protects Labor Supply and Wages 03:15 - Comparison of Unemployed Canadians vs. Incoming Foreign Workers 04:45 - Illegal and Undocumented Labor on Construction Sites 05:40 - Subcontracting and the Rise of Fraudulent Documentation 06:41 - Canada's Global Brand and Diversity in the Workforce 07:21 - Case Study: Workplace Injury and Lack of Protection for Undocumented Workers 09:27 - Impact of Cheap Labor on Wage Suppression 10:17 - Investing in Local Talent and the Current Reality of the Trade Industry 11:23 - Talent Attraction vs. Low-Skilled Labor Streams