COVID benefits creating worker shortage, says legislative member

A BC legislative member is facing heat for a tweet criticizing federal COVID-19 benefits for workers.

“Business owners across BC are struggling to stay open as Gov’t programs don’t encourage workers to seek employment,” Kelowna West MLA Ben Stewart tweeted on Aug. 6. “This is wrong!”

Stewart said he made the comments after walking around downtown Kelowna and seeing many restaurants looking for employees, according to a report by Victoria News. Stewart said programs like the Canada Recovery Benefit are to blame for the labour shortage.

“Part of the problem is that programs have been extended and are running until the end of September,” Stewart told Black Press Media in an Aug. 9 interview. “There is no accountability on whether you’re busy looking for work. Even during a crisis, you still have to be looking for work, and that is not happening today.”

Stewart’s tweet garnered a harsh response from the twittersphere, with many pointing out that while he’s slamming COVID-19 benefits, he’s paying his employees a pittance. Stewart owns Quails’ Gate, a West Kelowna winery, Victoria News reported. A recent job posting for the winery required applicants to work 60-plus hours per week, Monday through Saturday, with occasional Sunday work. Applicants were also expected to be available on all weekends during specific time periods and to travel to vineyard sites all over the Central Okanagan and Osoyoos. For that, the vineyard offered $15.20 per hour, the BC minimum wage.

Stewart said that his employment costs have increased during the pandemic. He claimed that workers at Quails’ Gate are not forced to work 60-hour weeks, but many choose to. He also said he’s had trouble filling positions at the winery recently, Victoria News reported.

Statistics Canada’s labour force survey for July showed that British Columbia was the one province with employment above its pre-COVID level. The national unemployment rate fell to 7.5% in July, down from 7.8% in June.

However, Stewart maintained that the numbers in the labour force survey were skewed because most employment in BC was in the public sector, according to Victoria News. He said the government was too focused on “special interest groups,” such as disabled people, as part of its recovery plan, while not paying enough attention to the private sector.

“There are no programs to help people build the skills they need,” Stewart said. “What are we doing to help youth to get caught up and get jobs in nursing or engineering?”

When asked for solutions, Stewart did not give specifics, Victoria News reported. He said the province should let the private sector do the things it’s good at and not place further restrictions on sectors like housing.

“You don’t get jobs by giving money to people,” he said. “We are faced with inheriting a deficit, and residents will have to pay more in taxes as a result.”

However, faced with continuing backlash, Stewart did tweet an apology on Tuesday. He called his comments, specifically those about disabled people, “wrong and insensitive.”