Lesson Learned from Verizon: Canadian Telecom Leaders are Wimps

There's much to be proud of in being Canadian.

Being a third-generation Canuck, I'm fortunate to live a country free of the oppressiveness of corrupt totalitarian governments, civil war, and anarchy such as the current state of Syria -- for example.

Canada only has three primary wireless
carriers -- Rogers, Bell and Telus.

However, that doesn't mean we Canadians are completely free of the corruption from politicized governments and wealthy corporations.

As murmurs trickled down about American telecommunications giant Verizon's interests in expanding north into Canada made there way up here, our Canadian telecom companies began shaking with fear.

Or more correctly, they began plotting a politically charged, purely self-interested campaign to cry like babies in need of a good spanking.

Aside from the dis-information Rogers Communications, Bell and Telus spread through television, radio and newspaper advertising about the impending doom and gloom for consumers, should their monopolies be finally broken by a foreign competitor, a far more sobering lesson was learned.

Canada's telecom leaders are wimps. 

Leadership.

The word conjures up images of strength balanced by wisdom. 

Great leaders energize their teams by demonstrating the best characteristics of humanity at work -- they lead by example. 

The greatest of leaders inspire not just those who directly report to them, but even those who don't, because they are so great -- we just want to be like them.

American telecommunications company Verizon
was showing interest in coming to Canada.

Great leaders are brave in the face of challenge, running headlong into everything that comes their way, no matter what.

They don't cry wolf.

Which is what Canada's telecom leaders did, when they petitioned the Canadian government to block Verizon's entry into their turf. 

Rogers, Bell and Telus joined forces to fight Verizon before they even landed on Canadian soil, claiming the Canadian government was showing unCanadian favoritism by allocating a highly sought after wireless frequency to a foreign competitor. The big three Canadian telecom companies claimed Verizon's entry into Canada would cost Canadians more money as their wireless bills would increase, and would cost Canadians jobs as a foreign company entered the market.

Ironic, as all three of Canada's telecommunications companies either have or currently do outsource their customer service call centres to non-Canadian companies operating outside of Canada.

Canadian telecom companies either have or currently
do outsource their call centres to "offshore" foreign
countries, which does take jobs away from Canadians.

Rogers, Bell and Telus wimped out. Or rather, their leaders did, by acting on some of the WORST characteristics of humanity -- fear, deception, pettiness, and greed.

Through deceptively worded ads, they tried to scare Canadians into joining their fight to keep their monopolies. Instead of running headlong into a challenge, they ran away from it, hiring an ad agency to do their dirty work.

Good doesn't always triumph over evil, and Canada's wimpy-led telecoms won, as Verizon announced over the weekend they decided not to come to Canada, and all three Canadian telecom companies stock prices rose with the news.

However, Canadians lost as the monopolies held by the big three continue. Canadians lost, as the big three continue to outsource some of their services to foreign contractors. Canadians lost, as the wireless spectrum continues to be dominated by companies which believe in using fear and deception instead of bravery and transparent honesty.

And far worse, Canadian leaders lost, as we are all made to look like fools, by the lack of true leadership of our telecommunication's leaders.

Hey Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- Here's What's Wrong with Canada's Economy -- And I've Even Given You The Solution -- Thank Me Later!

Canada -- as is much of the world -- continues to spin out of control as the economy spirals towards new lows.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper smiles, standing in front of his "Economic Action Plan" backdrops, looking very encouraging, claims his government has the answer.

He's been standing in front of those backdrops, singing the same song for several years now, yet Canada's economy isn't any better -- in fact it is worse.

Hey Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- here's what's wrong with Canada's economy -- and I'll even give you the solution:

Temp Agencies

Kelly Girl jokes aside, though Kelly Temporary Services, along with AppleOne, Addecco, Robert Half Technology, Eagle, The Dean Group, The Bagg Group, Altis Human Resources, Quantum Management Services, Manpower and many others throughout the country are directly responsible for the lack of jobs in this country.

See, the problem isn't that there aren't any jobs in Canada anymore -- there are. Just they are all temporary, contract gigs, which offer no benefits, absolutely no upwards mobility, promotion nor security. And these temporary "gigs" force hard-working dedicated Canadians to act like secure stable staffers, minus of course all the secure stable benefits of real employment.

Companies which "hire" contractors expect them to do all the same things the staffers once did. From attending on-boarding presentations about the history of the company, to taking dull dreary online regulatory and compliance courses, even to sitting in on meetings about the company pension and benefits plan -- of which they aren't entitled to because they are just temps.

In fact, temporary contract jobs have been growing in Canada faster than permanent staff jobs.

Looking for Work in Canada

Temporary staffing agencies do place full-time people into permanent positions -- for outrageous finder's fees.

See, it's NOT in the staffing firm's best interest to fill permanent vacancies -- their whole business model is designed around earning residual income off of the backs of temporary contractors.

So why would they encourage real employment, when they make more money off of temporary "staffing" solutions?

I worked on contract for these vulturistic temp firms before. And I've been forced to go through all the crazy training, invoicing, and even "the talk."

Got to love "the talk."

Just before your contract ends, you get "the talk" from the recruiter that placed you -- because the company you work for has absolutely nothing to do with you -- about how wonderful you are, and they don't want to lose you, but they can't afford your current rates. So, you are "offered" a choice. Either accept a LOWER hourly rate for your next six-month contract, or leave.

Great way to retain "employees." Tell them they are so good, that they should be willing to take a pay cut to keep their temporary employment for another six-months, at which point they'll be asked to cut their wages yet again.

I've also been in a hiring position, ironically while I was on contract, and witnessed numerous presentations from staffing firms espousing the benefits of hiring contractors on a per project basis, as opposed to hiring someone as a Full-Time Employee.

When I worked on contract for American Express, the guy that hired me told me he too was on contract, he'd been on contract at AMEX at that point in time for over 11 years. 

More Layoffs Occur in Canada as Companies Contract Out Their Work

Eleven YEARS.

Eleven years without being offered any benefits, or even better, a sense of place in an uncertain world.

And that's what real job security is all about.

If you don't know from one contract to the next whether or not you'll be earning money, you don't have a sense of place. So you can't plan for the future.

This means you won't go out and buy a new home, get that new car you need, or even purchase that new washing machine and dryer.

Every penny goes into savings, because the second your contract ends, that's what you'll be living off of until you get another gig.

And "gig" is the best word for it -- thanks to these temporary staffing firms, most of the big companies that do hire people, don't.

They just bring in people on temporary contracts.

The New Face of Canadian Offices?

Because the staffing firms don't staff companies anymore. They don't want a one-time finder's fee, they want recurring revenues generated by temporary contractors.

That's the problem with our economy Mr. Prime Minister.

So put away that slick backdrop, and go after the staffing firms. 

Create laws that prohibit them from using the unemployed as chattel. 

Enforce the laws which prohibit companies from keeping people on contracts forever. 

Hey, here's an idea, instead of funding the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, which encourages companies to import cheap temporary contractors taking contracted temp gigs away from Canadians, why not fund programs which encourages big business to hire full-time, permanent Canadians?

So the next time Canada's biggest bank -- The Royal Bank Financial Group -- needs bodies to do work, instead of getting a government grant to import people from India or China to do those jobs, they get a government grant to HIRE A CANADIAN right here in CANADA?

Doesn't that sound like a better solution?

Do the right thing for your country Prime Minister Harper.

Please -- and thanks!