British Truckers Abroad

The operations manager of a trucking company in Cornwall, P.E.I., has pleaded guilty to charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in connection with the company's failure to cover the flight expenses of some of its immigrant workers.

Mike Schutt of Bulk Carriers Ltd. pleaded guilty in provincial court in Charlottetown Tuesday to charges of misrepresentation and counselling to misrepresent.

Bulk Carriers owner Jack Kelly, who was facing the same charges, was not in court Tuesday. Under a plea agreement covering both Kelly and Schutt, only Schutt was required to enter a guilty plea.

The company employs about 60 people, half of whom are immigrants who came to Canada through a pilot project known as the low-skilled worker program.

One condition in the company's contract with its immigrant workers was that Bulk Carriers had to pay for the immigrants' flight to Canada as well as a return flight.


Read more on this here courtesy CBC.ca News

Strange that they admit the offences, but may get away with a derisory 'donation' to a local charity.
The comments show the anger at the company.

"Companies like Bulk and Seafood bring in these drivers from Europe and the governmanet pays half their wages for up to 2 years. If these truck companies paid Canadain's more money for their skill to do the job, immigrants would not be needed. I have nothing against people from other countries coming to Canada to make a better life for themselves, but when they do come, they should be treated fairly and paid well for their skill. The taxpayer should not be footing the bill for any portion of their salary, as driving jobs are in high demand. If truck compnaies want to bring in immigrants, they should be paying their entire wage with no subsidy from the taxpayer. Once a driver gets his permanent resident status, he quits driving and finds something else to do. The cycle continues, the process is only a band-aid solution to driver shortage issues, and the taxpayer is on the hook for a lot of dough and little to show for it!! This little scam needs to end."


Some of the other comments remind me of the flack that H&R gets...

"If the drivers were treated as promised, with respect and a life, they might stay with a company; but they are told to drive more than allowed and when they get a ticket it comes off their pay..they had a choice take the legislated break and lose their job or take the chance on a ticket - forced by the company - then also take the financilal hit. Take loads and sit for hours waiting to deliver - no pay while you wait...what kind of crap is that?

The companies need to treaat drivers fairly and they woulld not have the turnover"

Oh Christ,don't say that Mickfly is starting a crusade on behalf of PEI truckers !!!!!
I need to lie down in a darkened room,rapidly losing the will to live.Memo to myself "hide all sharp objects".

Why do you say that? He didnt start the thread... oh... and maybe he registered on CBC as 10 or more different posters
The whole sad state of affairs stinks!

No, I didn't work there, so i didn't know any of the 21 'losers' who wanted to return to the UK, as per there original contracts, but were skanked by the company (yes, they admitted what they had done), and as Jonka states... I was REPLYING to the thread.

BTW: Someone sent me an e-mail recently slagging Bulk off and asked me to post the info on the H&R blog, which I didn't.
As I've said before, if I had a downer on the whole Canada thing, I could post vigorously EVERYWHERE, ie, trucknet forum, CDL forum, British Ex pats forums, and also on the truckers blogs, andI don't even post positively on the blogs anymore, to avoid the assumption that I have an ulterior motive.

There's a new member asking about working in Canada, obviously too lazy to read back on all the info which is on here...should I tell him about H&R Mr discount?

In numerous posts, most of them it seems actually, you appear to be on an 'Anti Mickfly Mission'. This thread as an example; Mickfly has replied to a thread and has also added relevant quotes from others, as reported in the press/media. You turn, what is most likely vitally important information for those who are currently considering a move to PEI/Bulk, into another Mickfly-slagging session.

You are always very forward with slagging-off Mickfly but very backwards in offering genuine help and advice, based on factual experiences (something that Mickfly has been doing), and yet, if the few bits of information you have given are indeed true, you are best placed to offer relevant advice to those who are considering the move. That is after all, what this site was set-up for.

If you can't contribute usefully, and by that I mean factually, both the positives and negatives of a move to Canada, then you are wasting bandwidth and other peoples time. Your constant anti-Mickfly postings are not constructive and not welcome.

Glad to see you back online Martin, was beginning to think you left it all for me to do!!

Hear, hear.
If people don't like what Mickfly writes then its simple:
DON'T READ HIS POSTS.
But there is no need whatsoever to constantly slag him off. He has posted some very useful info on HIS EXPERIENCE, if your not prepared to do the same then take your snide comments elsewhere and shove them where the sun don't shine.

I, along with many others have learnt a from this forum, but the 1 thing that really pisses me off is that whenever someone reports FACTS there seems to be a minority of people who want to turn it around and make out that there is some kind of crusade against anyone with a differing opinion.

Can we change the subject cos this one is BORING , Anyone who can use the search button can find out what Mick went through at H&R , I think the whole of Canada knows by now !

And yes I didn't have to read this thread but as the title says it was about a Bulk Carriers on PEI

Kev,

You're right - it does get boring, but obviously not for a certain few who turn many non-related posts into a dig at Mick. This topic has been potentially ruined by the anti-Mick posters. Perhaps in hind sight it would've been easier to just delete the off-topic 'Mick digs' but the admin team try to use their 'mod powers' as little as possible. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

This thread is about a Canadian transport company that has been found to have broken the law and not treated its drivers fairly etc etc. Mick commented that there were similarities to a company, at the other side of Canada, that he had first hand experience of. He also mentioned that in comparison to the 'crime', the punishment was somewhat punitive.

It was others that took it off-topic . . . . . .

I didn't know this... It really surprises me...

Just like this:



I'm gonna check it out...

Wasnt it something to do with the Government assisting in the Training/Test costs too if you took on someone on an LMO ?
Sure I read or was told this through official statements. Just like the Immigration consultancy companies... very lucrative if you can keep 'feeding the front-line with cannon-fodder'!

We came in with the help of an immigration consultancy office. We paid them for the help, REM paid them to get the driver (the same money they normally paid to the driver as sign in bonus) and that was it.

REM took care of training but never paid me for my airplane ticket...

I heard complains at REM about drivers leaving as soon as they were landed immigrant. Words like they used REM to get into Canada. If REM would have been paid 50% of the wages by the government it would be better for them... Get rid of the landed guys, time for some fresh blood... But no, REM prefered them to stick around...

To me it felt more like they were in need of good professional drivers, not of cheap drivers...

For sure; I guess like most things... certain systems are open for abuse and companies (not all) will take advantage.

Yep, okay...

But when I, as a company, would have the right to get half of the wages back from the government, I would take it without hesitation...

Well, I'm not very smart but did some research.

The government paying half of the wages..?? I can't find anything about that.

Low-skilled worker program..?? I don't think Bulk carriers used that program because there's hardly any chance to get Permanent residency...

check it out

I had a very nice conversation with REM's safety manager this morning. He told me what I expected hin to say. REM is looking for long time workers, not people that run away as soon as they are landed. Sadly that is the way things are, most of the immigrants leave as soon as they have a chance. REM paid money to the consultance agency, they were the once that should take care of costs for air fare, training and licenses...

It seems that there are new rules since a while. Every foreign driver coming in needs to get a contract assuring him of a certain amount of money the first year. Kind of a salary. It could be something around 40.000 dollar. It's something good for the driver.! Does anybody know more about this..??

I was guaranteed $19 an hour @ 60 hours a week , This was in black and white on my LMO (Alberta PNP ) and was more than honoured by the company.
Also this was in 2007 and I think its about the same now.

Another point :

If the company wants long term employees they should treat them right in the first place , And if they find that they have a high turnover rate, Perhaps they should look at the way they are doing things ?

The other thing I would add to this is to also look at the quality of drivers being hired. It's not good enough to have a licence and be able to cross the border, what happened to experience!!!

REM has a steady group of drivers that has been there for ages. They are looking for more drivers like that. There's not a real high turnover rate...

People have a different view on things, I guess. I, for myself, cannot think of a reason why to leave REM. There's a lot of drivers who think different though...



Well, that's fair..!! H&R (for example) are in Alberta too, don't they have to put something like that on the LMO too..??

Well you would think so , But they seem to have there own rules !!

Yes experienced drivers , But the right kind of experience , an ex Tesco/Asda driver is gonna quickly find himself out of his depth

Should be looking for ex european long haul drivers, the work is very similar.

Thanks once more for your time and feedback fellas; its not mentioned enough on here, but I must speak for lots of Brit + European drivers still scraping up all the gossip etc, it really is appreciated. Take care out there

No hourly rate on the contract at H&R, but a figure around $53,000CAD PA, but it doesn't mean anything, unless you work there for a full year.
I also researched, looking for solid info about the government supporting LMO newcomers with a wage subsidy to the company, but only found rumours and hearsay, although it's not something that a company would want anyone to know.