temps

I was interested to read the letter that Brian shared below. I have not had to use temp agencies but my sons have. I have always been shocked at the crap they had to put up with as they tried to earn some cash. Fortunately at that time they were not supporting a family. Not so with a young aquaintance of mine, where I currently work. He does have a wife and two small children. He is from Jamaica and lived in Montreal for a number of years. He was hoping for a good future in a quiet community. He worked with me as a packer on my machines and was very good right from the get go. In our fast continuous process environment he was a blessing to me and I made a point to request him when I could. I met him uptown today. The company called his agency and said they didn't want him because he couldn't keep up. This is patently false. The temps are used as a factor to balance the bottom line without having to plan carefully. No regard is paid to their dignity or the fact that they deserve an opportunity to earn a living based on their own merit. My friend was a good worker with an outgoing personality and he was blackballed for no reason.
Any politician that supports the temp agency as it exists in Brantford is no different than the politicos of past eras who argued that the abolution of slavery would destroy the economy of the U.S. and England. They and the opponents of a livable minimum wage have a great deal in common with the economists who advised President Truman that if every American had a nice home,two cars, and enough to eat, then they would become lazy and the country would fall apart. Therefore the answer was to tax the citizens wages and keep them in need so industry could grow and profit.