The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) urged the federal government to address worker exploitation in Canada and from abroad, forced labour and wage theft.
During its recent consultations on forced labour in international supply chains, CTA highlighted the impact of these illegal practices have on the trucking industry and called for stronger domestic enforcement, including moving forward with a robust Known Employer Program to strengthen oversight of immigration and employment practices in Canada.
The submission also focuses on:
- Organized networks: Forced labour in the trucking industry often involves transnational networks linking immigration representatives, truck-driving schools, and trucking companies both in Canada and overseas.
- Vulnerable workers: Temporary foreign workers and workers in other immigration streams for domestic and cross-border trucking are highly vulnerable. Reports indicate some are paid 22 to 24 cents per mile, which is only about one-third of prevailing market rates and well below minimum wage.
- Illicit profits: Exploiting these workers generates massive, illegitimate profits that far exceed normal business expectations.
- Control and coercion: Bad actors keep workers trapped through control tactics, threats, and retaliation, often involving organized criminal networks.
- Unfair competition: This exploitation undermines legitimate trucking businesses that follow the law.
The Alliance also believes Canada’s efforts to address forced labour and exploitation should also include addressing wage theft, worker misclassification, and practices that circumvent payroll, tax, and labour obligations. CTA called for strengthening oversight of immigration pathways that contribute to the exploitation of vulnerable commercial truck drivers.
Enforcement should focus on those responsible for non-compliance, while protecting workers, supporting fair competition, and ensuring legitimate businesses are not penalized for circumstances beyond their control.
CTA will continue to work with governments and likeminded stakeholders to end forced labour practices in the Canadian trucking industry.
