Discussion on the Wal-Mart Decision in Quebec
A major labour story has occurred in Gatineau, Quebec, concerning Wal-Mart.
There's a big discussion about it occurring on one of Canada's most popular blogs, Small Dead Animals.
I read through several of the comments and was really struck by this one:
Here's one I left myself:
IMHO the most interesting comment of all is the first one from "ET".
As I was born & raised in Vancouver I'm very familiar with the socialist leanings of about 40% of British Columbians, but I was not quite prepared for what I encountered in La Belle Provence.
For 18 months, between 2002 - 2004 I wanted a change so I moved to Montreal. Got a funky old apartment in Outremont (not the wealthy part, I assure you). I generally enjoyed myself very much except for a few incidents.
ET's mention of "The Quebec Way" reminded me of one. Running my own little software company, I befriended a fellow from Eastern Europe who had moved there with his wife and young son about a year previous. He had quickly landed work with a hi-tech firm but a few months after I met him he was suddenly laid off.
About the same time one of my clients mentioned that they *may* have a small ($20,000) software development project for me, starting in a few months.
Anyone who has ever been involved in building software knows that it is not a trivial exercise and many things can go wrong. The client was insistent that it be done for that fixed cost. If it took more time, I would have to eat the difference.
I thought of my new found friend and asked if he, who was now unemployed, would be interested in the work if I ended up getting the contract. After all, he had a family support so I thought I could do him a favour of sorts. I wasn't interested in a huge profit on it but clearly wanted to make something (or else why take it on).
After going over the technical & budget details with him, he thought about it for a few days and came back to me with the following proposal:
1. He would only work on it for a fixed price per hour. If he went over in time then I'd still have to pay him the full amount.
2. He wanted $5,000 up front immediately, which was what he'd describe as his "retainer fee". He'd keep this even if I never got the contract.
To say I was flabbergasted would be the understatement of the century. I really had thought that I was doing him a favour but clearly I had encountered The Quebec Way ... and from a new immigrant new less. How quickly many newcomers pick up the habits of the status quo of the society they're moving into.
Needless to say, I never agreed to his terms and ended up doing the work myself. And I never bothered looking for staff in Quebec again. I did hire some, but from elsewhere.
Labels:
Canada,
labour,
Quebec,
Wal-Mart
2
comments
The real question is: Will Quebecers ever take charge of their own businesses or will they instead that someone else set up the industries and stores, take the risks, invest all the money...and then..hire all and only Quebecers, unionized, guaranteed for life jobs, pensions, benefits?
That's The Quebec Way.
Someone else, a 'foreigner' or 'Other', ie, an anglophone, a 'Canadian', an American..this person invests, takes the risks, supplies the money. And the Quebecer gets his permanent job without any such risks or responsibilities.
Remember a generation ago, when it was only the anglophones running the industries in Quebec? Ahh, the 'revolution' was to change all of this. But it didn't. The infrastructure remains the same.
Someone else risks time, money; someone else does the long term planning and invests and takes out the loans. The Quebecer lives off this, like a parasite.
It won't change until the ROC realizes that Quebec has no interest in the Roc/Canada. No interest in travelling there, in governing, in helping it prosper and function well. It views Canada only as a Banking Machine.
So- will Quebec ever mature and realize that it ought to take its own business risks and not expect the federal govt to set up the businesses; not expect Wal-Mart to set up the stores. Not until we refuse to play that game. After all, why should they? It's a lot easier being a parasite!
Posted by: ET at October 18, 2008 6:06 PM