Gen Z to overtake boomers in U.S. Canadian  workforce by early next year: report

Jordan Fleguel, BNN Bloomberg

The number of full-time Gen Z workers in the U.S. is set to surpass baby boomers in the first few months of 2024, according to a new report from Glassdoor Economic Research.

The report, released Wednesday, examined U.S. Census Bureau data, and found that the number of full-time Gen Z and boomer workers in the American workforce is currently about even.

As older workers continue retiring en masse and more young Americans reach working age, Gen Z is set to rapidly overtake the boomer generation, which made up the largest share of the U.S. workforce from the late 1970s until around 2011, according to the report.

Baby boomers are considered to be those born between 1946 and 1964, while Gen Zers are those born from the late 1990s until around 2012.

Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980, took over as the dominant working generation in the U.S. in 2012 before they were overtaken by millennials, born between Gen X and Gen Z, in 2018.

Millennials have since remained the dominant working generation, and won’t be overtaken by Gen Z until the early 2040s, the report estimates.

“The coming year will still represent a pivotal moment of cultural change that U.S. companies cannot ignore as Gen Z workers – who care deeply about community connections, about having their voices heard in the workplace, about transparent and responsive leadership, and about diversity and inclusion – make up a rapidly growing share of the workforce,” the report said.

CANADIAN LABOUR DEMOGRAPHICS

Canada is experiencing a similar shift in demographics, with the number of retiring baby boomers expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

But experts predict this will only exacerbate existing labour shortages, as there aren’t enough young workers to replace the boomers exiting the workforce.

Canada's labour force growth rate has been trending downward since 2000, but the trend has intensified in recent years. This "grey wave" has been on the horizon for a while, but experts say it's now crashing ashore.

According to Statistics Canada, between 2016 and 2021 more than 1.4 million Canadians entered the ranks of those aged 55 and older, and in 2021, one in five Canadians of working age were aged 55 to 64.

CULTURE SHIFT

As demographics continue to shift, office culture is expected to follow.

For example, employers are still struggling to find the “new normal” when it comes to remote work, as many young professionals now expect flexible work profiles, even as companies have attempted to enforce stricter in-office policies. 

A recent survey of Canadian professionals by human resources firm Robert Half found that three in four respondents said a flexible work schedule is the top perk they look for in a job.

Separate Robert Half research also suggests that younger Canadian professionals have different views on certain long-standing office taboos such as discussing your salary with colleagues.

In an August survey, the firm found that 86 per cent of Gen Zers and 59 per cent of millennials reported discussing salaries with their work colleagues, while just 40 per cent of Gen Xers and 41 per cent of baby boomers said they do the same.

With files from The Canadian Press

Young professionals more likely to discuss salary with colleagues: survey

Jordan Fleguel, BNN Bloomberg

Discussing your salary with coworkers has often been considered taboo in office culture, but new survey data suggests younger generations have different views on pay transparency.

A recent survey by human resources firm Robert Half found that 86 per cent of Gen Zers and 59 per cent of millennials reported discussing salaries with their work colleagues, while just 40 per cent of Gen Xers and 41 per cent of baby boomers said they do the same.

Overall, the survey of Canadian workers found that 52 per cent of respondents said they have discussed salaries with colleagues before.

Thirty-five per cent of respondents said they are swapping salary information with colleagues equally, while 17 per cent said they aren’t sharing their own salary information even if they know what their colleagues make.

When it comes to salary negotiation, the survey found that 37 per cent of respondents said they would trust their coworkers for advice, however 44 per cent said advice from a “credible industry source” was the most trustworthy.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of respondents said they would trust someone in a professional network outside of their own company, while 27 per cent and 26 per cent said they would trust friends or family members, respectively.

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

This latest research underscores a growing demand for pay transparency across all industries in Canada.

British Columbia recently joined Prince Edward Island as the second province to mandate that all public job postings must include wage information or a set salary range, with the government of Ontario looking to follow suit. 

Separate survey data collected by Robert Half found that the disclosure of salary ranges in job postings is now an expectation for half of all Canadian professionals when they are job-seeking.

An additional 63 per cent of respondents in the same survey said they would take themselves out of consideration for a role if an employer declines to provide salary information upon request.

METHODOLOGY

The data referenced was collected from an online survey of 596 professionals 18 years or older across Canada between Aug. 5-15, 2023. The survey was developed by Robert Half and conducted by an external survey partner.

 

Freeland touts need for grocery competition after Loblaw, Metro post higher profits

NOT HAPPENING WE NEED A WINFALL TAX ON THEM

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press

More competition is needed in Canada’s grocery sector as consumers grapple with higher food prices, said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, after two of the country's largest grocers reported higher sales and profits in the most recent quarter. 

Speaking at a press conference in Mascouche, Que., Freeland said major changes need to be made to Canadian competition law in order to help stabilize food prices. 

"We need to bring more competition into the Canadian economy, particularly in the grocery sector," she said. 

"We are prepared to use every tool in our toolbox, including tax policy, to make sure that prices stabilize." 

Freeland's comments Wednesday came on the heels of financial results from Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Metro Inc.

Loblaw reported a profit for the third quarter of $621 million, up from $556 million during the same quarter last year. Revenues for the quarter rose to $18.27 billion, up from $17.39 billion. 

Meanwhile, Metro saw profit for its fourth quarter rise to $222.2 million, up from $168.7 million a year earlier, while sales were $5.07 billion, up from $4.43 billion last year. 

As Canadians increasingly look to save on food costs, Loblaw and Metro said they’ve been converting stores to discount banners and are seeing higher sales growth in private-label brands. 

"Our Maxi and No Frills stores led the way, generating double-digit growth again this quarter," chairman Galen Weston said on a conference call with analysts. The company has plans for more new and converted discount stores next year, he said. 

The price of groceries has been one of the sharpest thorns in Canadians' sides amid a broader swell of inflation that peaked last summer. 

Inflation has since eased under the weight of interest rate increases from the Bank of Canada, but many Canadians are still grappling with an overall higher cost of living, including rent, mortgage payments and grocery bills. 

On Tuesday, Statistics Canada said nearly seven million Canadians struggled with hunger last year. The proportion of families in Canada that reported experiencing food insecurity within the previous 12 months rose 16 per cent between 2021 and 2022. 

This fall, the federal government called upon the major grocers to take steps to stabilize food prices and, last month, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced that Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco had presented their plans, which included discounts and price freezes.

However, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has questioned whether the Liberal government's pressure on grocers will amount to any real change for consumers. 

"This is more political theatre," he told reporters in September, referring to Champagne's first meeting with the CEOs of major grocery chains. 

In an interview about Loblaw's financial results, retail analyst Bruce Winder said consumer trust in the major grocers is at an "all-time low." 

The industry is also nearing the completion of a grocery code of conduct meant to provide guidelines for fair dealings between retailers and suppliers. 

While grocers have been pointing to large cost increases from major food suppliers as a key factor in rising prices, they have also been criticized over some of the fees they charge to suppliers, which say they have their own rising costs to contend with. Scrutiny of these fees in 2020 helped kickstart work on the grocery code. 

Loblaw recently criticized the code, claiming it could add inflationary pressure to grocery prices to the tune of $1 billion in its current form. Members of the steering committee tasked with overseeing the creation of the code disputed Loblaw's claim, and urged the grocer to give the voluntary code a chance. 

Both Loblaw and Walmart Canada have expressed concern about the code, noted Winder, while the other major grocers are on board. 

"It'll be interesting just to see how that plays out," he said, adding that if the code fails to get traction, there could be pressure on government to step in with regulation. 

In a report released in June, the Competition Bureau said more competition in the grocery sector is "a key part of the answer" to keeping food prices down.

"Canada needs solutions to help bring grocery prices in check," the watchdog said in its report. 

The bureau also noted its inability to compel information from the grocery sector for its report limited its access to some details. 

In September, the federal government introduced legislation that aims to strengthen the Competition Bureau, including giving it the power to compel information from companies as part of its market studies, as well as to block collaborations that are detrimental to competition and choice. 

"Changes to competition law in Canada are really significant," Freeland said on Wednesday. 

"The changes we are proposing are historic and they’re going to make a big difference."

With files from Brett Bundale, Hina Alam, Mia Rabson and Nojoud Al Mallees

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2023.

 

Rogers Sugar strike taking some of the sweetness out of holiday season for bakers

Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press

A bitter strike at the Rogers Sugar refinery in Vancouver is taking some of the sweetness out of the holiday season for bakers and candy-makers.

Across Western Canada, small businesses that depend on sugar are struggling with shortages and higher costs as labour action at one of the country's few sugar processing facilities stretches into a seventh week.

At Le Gateau Bakeshop in Vancouver, owner Tanya Muller is growing increasingly concerned. 

During the busy Christmas season, she typically goes through 150 to 200 kilograms of sugar per week making the 20 different varieties of holiday cookies her bakery specializes in.

But right now, the maximum amount of the sweet stuff her wholesale supplier can give her is two bags, or 40 kilograms, per week. 

"We've been doing things like lining up early in the morning at Costco and trying to get in first thing to see what's available there. And sometimes that works, and sometimes, you know, Costco doesn't have anything either," Muller said.

"I'm worried we won't be able to fulfil our orders, which obviously isn't ideal for the holiday season."

According to the Canadian Sugar Institute, Canada produces approximately 1.2 million tonnes of refined sugar annually — around 94 per cent of which is refined from raw cane sugar imported in bulk to three refining operations in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

The Toronto refinery is owned by Redpath Sugar, while the Vancouver and Montreal refineries are operated by Rogers Sugar Inc., which markets its products under the brand names Rogers and Lantic. 

The sugar supply issues being experienced in Western Canada stem from the Vancouver refinery, where 138 striking workers have been off the job since Sept. 28. 

Adrian Soldera, president of Public and Private Workers of Canada Local 8, said the union is at odds with Rogers Sugar over issues like wages, benefits and the company's proposal to increase refinery operations to 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

"Right now, they do about 120 hours a week, which is Monday to Friday, 24 hours a day," Soldera said. "So they're encroaching on our weekends."

Soldera said he's aware the strike is impacting customers — even at the grocery store level, where customers are experiencing sporadic shortages just as demand from home bakers begins to spike.

"I mean, this must be the highest sugar demand time of the year," Soldera said, adding he does not know when the strike will end as the union and employer positions remain far apart.

"Even if we went back tomorrow, the sugar won't really be hitting the shelves in full capacity until the first or second week of December."

While the most severe supply problems appear to be in B.C., the strike's effects are being felt across the western provinces. 

Sarah Foy, candy-maker and owner of Volio's Confections in Calgary, said she has been buying all the sugar she can get for weeks.

"I've been stocking up ever since my father-in-law called and said, 'Do you know there's a sugar shortage?' And then another friend of mine who owns a business also called to warn me," Foy said.

"So we're trying to be prepared."

Tasha Henderson, manager at Sinfully Sweet Cathedral Bakery in Regina, said while she thinks she has enough sugar right now to make it through the holiday season, the strike at the Rogers refinery has already doubled her wholesale costs.

"We used to pay $24 to $28 a bag, and now we're paying about $50 to $62 a bag," Henderson said, adding she expects the bakery will need to increase its own prices in the new year as a result.

"For now, we're just trying to hold tight for the Christmas season, because we've already done all of our promotional documents for our holiday pricing." 

For its part, Rogers Sugar said its Vancouver refinery continues to operate, but at a reduced level, and the company is using its other facilities to support its customers in Western Canada.

In an email, Rogers Sugar chief financial officer JS Couillard acknowledged the strike has resulted in localized supply impacts in Western Canada, particularly for brown sugar and some packaged white sugar.

However, he said there is "ample supply" of the company's other products, including bulk sugars used by bigger food processors and liquid sugars.

Couillard added that the company remains fully committed to reaching a new collective bargaining agreement with its workers.

"We recognize that this has created inconvenience for some of our valued customers," he said.

"We apologize for that, and we thank all of our customers for their continued patience as we seek a resolution."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2023.

 Workers at 17 No Frills stores in Ontario set Monday strike deadline

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press

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Almost 1,300 workers at 17 No Frills grocery stores in Ontario could be on strike next week, as the union that represents them has set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Monday. 

"Loblaw must come to the table prepared to raise wages and improve working conditions for these grocery store workers," said Unifor national president Lana Payne in a news release Thursday. 

The union said contract talks are ongoing, but that workers are prepared to strike to back their demands. 

No Frills is the discount grocery banner owned by Loblaw Cos. Ltd., the largest grocery company in Canada. The 17 stores include five locations in Toronto, as well as locations in Whitby, Etobicoke, Niagara Falls and elsewhere. 

According to Unifor, six per cent of the workers across the stores are full-time. The rest are part-time, with a quarter being students. 

The average hourly wage for the full-time workers is $19.89, while the average hourly wage for the part-time workers excluding the students is $16.95, according to Unifor. The average hourly wage for the students is $15.92.

In Ontario, the minimum wage for students under the age of 18 who work less than a certain number of hours per week is $15.60, compared with the general minimum wage of $16.55. 

On Wednesday, Loblaw reported a third-quarter profit of $621 million, up from $556 million during the same quarter last year. The grocer has been expanding its footprint of discount stores like No Frills as consumers trade down, looking for deals amid the rising cost of living. 

“Our Maxi and No Frills stores led the way, generating double-digit growth again this quarter,” said chairman Galen Weston on a conference call with analysts Wednesday. 

The grocer and its competitors have come under scrutiny for continuing to see profits rise while food inflation soared across the country. 

This round of bargaining is the first big round with a major grocery chain for Unifor after it reached a deal with Metro this summer that brought more than 3,700 workers in the Toronto area significant wage gains. 

Those workers rejected the first deal their union reached with the employer, then went on strike for five weeks before a second deal was reached.

Unifor had said the Metro deal would help it set a pattern as it bargains with major grocery chains over the next couple of years. 

In the press release Thursday, the union said No Frills workers are demanding similar gains to those the Metro workers received. 

Workers are fed up with the disparity between their pay and Loblaw's profits amid the growing cost of living, said Unifor Local 414 president Gord Currie in the release. 

"You know it’s bad when workers at Canada’s largest grocery store chain are struggling to afford their own food, even at discount stores like No Frills," he said. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2023.

Alberta regulator probes mine wall 'instabilities' after worker nearly buried: union

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press

Alberta's energy regulator is examining practices at a coal mine in the province after three "instabilities" in its rock walls -- including one weeks ago that partially buried a large piece of heavy equipment and its operator.  

"It buried the excavator with the operator in it," said Shayne Jessome, who works at the CST Canada Coal mine in Grande Cache, about 430 kilometres west of Edmonton.

"The guy almost got killed."

The boulders were big enough to damage the excavator's roll cage, Jessome said. 

Alberta Energy Regulator spokeswoman Teresa Broughton said the company reported three "rock-wall instabilities" in June, September and October. The first was reported to the regulator on July 5 and the others on Oct. 31.

"We are assessing the conditions at the site and mitigation activities of (CST) related to these rock-wall instabilities," she said. 

The three events occurred after an earlier one in the fall of 2022. Kyler Leduke was working a night shift, running a large Cat D-10 dozer deep in the mine's open pit, pushing coal toward a scoop shovel.

"Something caught my eye. I looked and I saw all this rock coming down. I thought, 'This is going to hurt.' I curled up and covered my face."

It turned out OK. The floor in the dozer's cab was ankle-deep in rock rubble but Leduke escaped unharmed.

"I was surprised I didn't have to change my ginch," he said.

A photograph provided to The Canadian Press of the dozer shows it buried up to the roof of its cab by refrigerator-sized boulders in what appears to be a mine pit. 

"Inspectors have conducted site inspection and are working with CST to understand what caused these events and review any required remedial actions," Broughton said in an email. "If we find a company isn't following the rules or requirements, we'll take action by applying one or more compliance and enforcement tools."

An official with the United Mineworkers Union said Alberta's Occupational Health Services has opened at least one file on the various events, although the agency refused to comment on it.

The Canadian Press left messages seeking comment at the mine company's Calgary and overseas offices, but they were not returned. 

Jessome, who was until recently the safety chairman at the mine for the union, said he has concerns about how seriously management considers safety at the mine. 

Management turned down his request for monthly tours of the site to look for potential issues, he said. Requests for water trucks were denied even when dust was so thick in the mine drivers couldn't see.

When workers downed tools after Leduke's experience, Jessome said management called union officials to complain instead of addressing concerns. 

Jessome described what it's like in the mine when an instability occurs in a mine wall.

"Sometimes, you can watch things start to crumble a little bit. When it's unstable, all of a sudden it just drops. It just falls, everything falls.

"When that happens, you've got to hope to Christ there's nobody working there."

Jessome said the mine relies on a radar detection system to warn of instability. But he said the people who analyze that data are remote from the site and don't give adequate warning.

The energy regulator normally releases a description of incidents it's looking into. Broughton said none were issued for the mine over the recent instabilities because "these events do not meet the (regulator's) criteria for posting."

The only one of those criteria that apply to hard-rock mining refer to releases of wastewater. 

CST is also under investigation by the regulator for two separate incidents in December 2022 and March of this year that saw more than 1,200 cubic metres of wastewater contaminated with coal fines released into the Smoky River. 

"CST Coal has submitted a release prevention plan to the (regulator) to prevent a reoccurrence of this event in the future, and is actively implementing release prevention measures as identified in the plan, as well as ongoing and continued monitoring of the Smoky River," says the company's most recent environmental, social and governance report.

The company has since reported a third release of wastewater into the Smoky River after heavy rains flooded the site in June. The volume of that release is unknown. 

"Over the past three years (including 2023), there were no reported lost days due to work injuries nor were there any work-related fatalities," the company report says. "The (company) was not aware of any non-compliance of relevant laws and regulations that have a significant impact on it relating to provision of a safe working environment and protecting employees."

CST Coal is owned by CST Group, which is based in Hong Kong and incorporated in the Cayman Islands. It bought the mine in 2017 from the receiver after the previous owner, Grande Cache Coal, went bankrupt.

The mine is both open-pit and underground, company documents say. It mines steelmaking coal, most of which is exported to Japan, Korea and China. 

CST employs about 300 people in Canada. 

Its leases cover almost 30,000 hectares in the northwest Alberta foothills.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2023.

Report says humidity affects roof stability in Nova Scotia mine under stop-work order

The Canadian Pres

A consultant who produced a report on Cape Breton’s idled Donkin coal mine says seasonal weather and humidity affect roof stability at the underground operation.

Andrew Corkum, a geological expert at Dalhousie University, says mudstone rock in the roof is susceptible to weakening under damp conditions, most prevalent in the spring and summer.

Corkum says the mine needs to be upgraded before operations can safely resume.

He recommends that the mine improve its safety measures and add to its monitoring system in the tunnels.

The Labour Department says the upgrades must be completed by Feb. 29, 2024, before a stop-work order — imposed in July after a rockfall — can be lifted.

The department has also ordered that the mine’s ground-control plan be reviewed by a third-party engineer with experience in mining and tunnelling.

The mine has laid off its 130 workers and has placed its operation in an “idled state.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2023.

 

Ontario to ban unpaid restaurant trial shifts; part of new labour law

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press

Ontario is planning to explicitly ban unpaid trial shifts for restaurant and hospitality workers, while also strengthening rules against deducting employee wages in the event of customer theft.

The proposed amendments are the latest in a series of labour law changes in a new piece of legislation tabled Tuesday by Labour Minister David Piccini.

While it is already the law that employees must be paid for all hours worked, Piccini said unpaid trial shifts are still happening as part of the interview process in some restaurants, so the practice will be specifically prohibited.

Similarly, labour laws already prohibit employers from deducting wages due to lost or stolen property, but new language will specifically ban it in instances of dine and dash or gas and dash, Piccini said.

As well, while current laws permit employers to share in pooled tips if they are performing the same work as their staff, the legislation would require the employers to tell employees if they are doing that.

Piccini said due to the rise of digital payment apps, including some that charge workers a fee to access their tips, the bill will also specify that employees who get paid their tips via direct deposit can choose where that money gets deposited.

"We're seeing apps that are taking a cut every time ... a worker accesses their tips and that's not acceptable," Piccini said in an interview.

"I mean, imagine telling an office worker they're going to get dinged every time they access their paycheques. We wouldn't say it's acceptable there, so why would we say it's acceptable for those in the hospitality and service sector?"

The Workers' Action Centre said in a statement that the government is failing to meaningfully enforce the existing laws that prevent actions such as deducting wages due to theft. The group pointed to Ministry of Labour investigations, inspections and prosecutions under the Employment Standards Act being far lower than in 2018-19.

The group also noted that the government has so far failed to pass a private member's bill by Progressive Conservative member Deepak Anand that would require customers to pre-pay for gasoline to prevent gas-and-dash thefts. It was referred to committee in April but no hearings have been scheduled.

Other changes contained in the new legislation include several aimed at the recruiting and hiring process. The bill would ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience in job postings or application forms, something Piccini said will help newcomers get more of a foot in the door in order to offer their valuable skills and experience.

Job postings would also be required to include salary ranges and businesses will have to disclose whether artificial intelligence is part of their hiring process, in part due to concerns about data collection and personal privacy.

The legislation would also boost payments to injured workers by enabling increases to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board benefits to be "super indexed" to a rate above inflation.

As well, it would allow more firefighters and fire investigators to qualify for WSIB benefits due to esophageal cancer. Currently, firefighters and fire investigators have to have been on the job for 25 years before esophageal cancer would be considered a work-related illness.

The new legislation would also increase the number of international students in Ontario eligible for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program by revising eligibility requirements to allow students from one-year college graduate certificate programs to apply.

As well, it would change how regulated professions such as accounting, architecture and geoscience use third-party organizations to assess international qualifications, which the government says would improve oversight and accountability.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2023.