Blacklisted McDonald's restaurant calls back local applicant

At least one job seeker previously turned away from a B.C. McDonald's restaurant is now being called in for an interview, days after the federal government launched an investigation into alleged abuses of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

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William Toulmin says his son, a grade 10 student, was previously rejected as a job candidate at one of the three locations in Victoria run by franchisee Glen Bishop.

"When asked why, the manager who was interviewing my son stated that they had a limited training budget because they were bringing over 11 foreign workers," Toulmin said.

But now, days after the federal government launched an investigation into the franchise's use of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Toulmin's son has been called back for an interview.

"If my son gets a job out of it, I'm glad, but it shouldn't have gone like this," Toulmin said.

Questions remain about what will happen to the temporary foreign workers already working in the three restaurants owned by Bishop, whose relationship with McDonald's is being terminated by the company.

"As the review is underway the workers remain employed, there is the possibility of them being attached to another employer, but that employer would have to go through the whole process again making sure there's an actual need for that worker," said Shirley Bond, B.C.'s minister of jobs, tourism and skills training.

But there is a chance the employees could be sent back to their home country.

"It's really unfortunate for them," says Jean McRae, executive director of the Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria.

McRae works with new immigrants to Canada and temporary foreign workers. Her association has been calling on Ottawa to put safeguards in place to protect foreign workers from exactly this kind of situation.

"There's this big program with many people coming into the country, some of them very vulnerable, and really there's no services available to them," she said.