While Quebec wants to “reduce the number of foreign workers”, Olymel says it cannot do without its 1,500 temporary foreign workers (TET) who have become team leaders, foremen and supervisors in the organization over the years.
“They really moved up in the organization. It provides a nice welcome for new people who see this and say to themselves that there is potential,” illustrates in an interview with Newspaper Yanick Gervais, CEO of Olymel, who revealed stable sales of $4.7 billion on Thursday, compared to $4.6 billion for the previous year.
Without them, “we wouldn’t be at the same point at all, that’s for sure,” he adds. “We are going to have to have foreign workers for the future,” he insists.
Last Monday, the Minister of Employment, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, announced in an interview with Newspaper of its intention to “reduce the number of foreign workers” by finding other ways to improve productivity.
“No difference”
Three days later, Olymel’s number 1 praised the merits of the temporary foreign worker program.
“A foreign worker who is very well integrated into his environment, for us, that makes no difference,” says Yanick Gervais, head of Olymel.
“The beauty of our factories is that we are in the region, so these are not people who come to stay around Montreal,” he continues.
Provided by Olymel
Yamachiche, Saint-Esprit, Berthierville… Yanick Gervais affirms that almost all foreign workers who can go elsewhere after their two-year permit decide to stay within Olymel.
“It’s increasingly difficult to find people who want to do a little more manual work,” he says.
Furthermore, after the dark year of 2023 with 1,500 layoffs, notably 994 from the Vallée-Jonction factory, the CEO of Olymel believes he will not have to make any other layoffs of this magnitude this year.
Paul Beauchamp, 1st vice-president of Olymel, Yanick Gervais, CEO and Louis Banville, vice-president, human resources.
Photo Francis Halin
“Are there mega-announcements of layoffs of 900 people to be expected? There is none,” he swears.