Quote:
Originally Posted by HyperMOA
I agree with you here. I would say that the last 10ish years the oil and gas industry has opened their doors to anybody that wants to work. I think that within a few years we will see "non-whites" fill more prominent positions in the patch as well. Like, consultants, pushes, and higher corporate positions.
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Money always trumps ideals. People forget things like not working on Sunday and racial issues when there is money to be had. There is always an excuse to flip flop. Its no coincidence that an increase in minority workers coincides with a shortage of workers in AB and a resulting rise in wages and hurting of the bottom line. I can't think of many top dogs whether racist or not that wouldn't mind a flood of minority workers to keep the costs in check.
However I think protectionism and racism are often mistaken specially by the media. In Vancouver for instance there is a flood of rich immigrants from Asia. Locals hold some resentment but not because the immigrants are a different color and breeding with the locals or any purity or other ideological issue. They resent it because the immigrants are driving property prices through the stratosphere and putting pressure on resources resulting in locals being priced out of their homeland and forever changing the landscape. Its really not a race issue at all. It just happens that a majority of the immigrants in this case are a visual minority. Alberta with its flood or outside workers also has a healthy dose of protectionism and understandably so. Things have certainly changed for any local that has been around here for +30 years. I can understand some resentment in that regard. Times always change but that doesn't mean its easy to see the old ways die.