A double whammy for Cyrell AMP. First hit by American tariffs on steel and aluminum products, the Bel’il-based manufacturing company is now at risk of losing a third of its workforce due to restrictions on hiring temporary workers.
«We are caught between Trump and Legault right now», laments Amélie Poirier-Borduas, director of marketing and strategic development at Cyrell AMP.
The company is concerned that its activities will be compromised by the imminent loss of 24 foreign workers, whose temporary work permits will expire over the next two years.
The end of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) and federal limitations on hiring temporary workers make it precarious to renew their permits.
Operating for over 25 years, the company specializes in manufacturing architectural panels used to dress the exteriors of buildings. They are responsible for the exterior cladding of Quat’Sous theater in Montreal, as well as the Brossard aquatic center. Their work can also be seen in downtown Boston and Toronto.
The temporary foreign workers, representing approximately 30% of the company’s total workforce, hail from Tunisia, Madagascar, and Cameroon. All French speakers, they hold positions as laborers, welders, benders, or machinery operators.
«Manual labor jobs» with a pay range of $20 to $25 per hour, which attract very few local applicants, according to Amélie Poirier-Borduas.
«We make efforts to recruit locally, but it is not currently possible. 90% of our candidates come from outside the country,»
The end of the PEQ, confirmed last November, dashed the hopes of many foreign workers to quickly obtain permanent residency.
As manual workers, they also have little chance of being selected under the Program for the Selection of Skilled Workers (PSTQ), which replaced the PEQ, according to Amélie Poirier-Borduas.
«The PSTQ has very high criteria in terms of education, qualifications, and job types. It will be hard for them,»
The federal government also limits the proportion of temporary foreign workers in a company to 15%, forcing Cyrell AMP to make tough decisions.
«It’s playing with the lives of Quebec SMEs and with the lives of individuals who want to improve their circumstances and have a better life. We opened Quebec, we promised them something. It’s a social contract that is completely broken,» laments Amélie Poirier-Borduas.
Towards decline?
Cyrell AMP is at risk of losing 12 workers by the end of 2026, and another dozen in 2027.
«This means turning down contracts and slowing down our investment plans,» admits Amélie Poirier-Borduas, anticipating a decline for the company founded by her father, Gabriel Borduas.
«It’s paradoxical: the government keeps pushing to buy local, but how can we do that if the manufacturing sector is no longer capable of producing here?» ponders the leader.
These disruptions come at a time when the company is recovering from a tumultuous year. Working with steel and aluminum, Cyrell AMP saw its products hit with 50% tariffs upon entry to the United States.
«Even before the tariffs went into effect, American customers stopped requesting quotes from us because they didn’t know where they stood,» recounts Amélie Poirier-Borduas.
In the end, the turbulence in the American market, which accounts for nearly 30% of Cyrell AMP’s activities, resulted in estimated losses of $2 million and led to several layoffs.
A bright spot emerges as the company has just secured the largest contract in its history in the American market. They will be involved in the construction of a research center for Nokia in New Jersey.
Nevertheless, «uncertainty remains, both from the United States side and regarding the workforce. We are trying to remain agile, but we are not sure where we stand,» sums up the director.
Benoit Valois-Nadeau, Local Journalism Initiative, Le Devoir
