Upsizing his life: Temporary foreign worker finds full-time job and life success at McDonald’s Cape Breton
Categories: Canada
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NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. — It was in 2011 when many Canadian businesses were experiencing labour shortages that Jon Morales made his way to Cape Breton.
At the time he was working in his home country of the Philippines when the owners of McDonalds’ restaurants on the island sought out professionals with his skillset to begin his move across the world as part of the temporary foreign worker program.
More than 12 years later, it’s a decision that has paid off for both parties as his career in the restaurant industry has soared to new heights culminating with his recent naming as one of the national corporation’s store managers of the year.
“I love Cape Breton,” said the 40-year-old manager of the North Sydney MacDonald’s.
“I have said to myself, ‘I don’t want to move anywhere else.’ I can live here in Cape Breton for my whole life. The people are nice; the surroundings are nice. I like the city but I’m done with the city now.”
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Though successful now, where is Cape Breton is a question Morales admits to asking before embarking on his long road away from his home in search of new opportunities and the brighter future that Canada was offering.
He calls himself a shy guy so the move to a new country wasn’t an easy one, despite having seven years of McDonald’s experience before arriving.
It’s a decision he will never regret, though.
“Actually, I came here by myself. I have my brothers now here working with me and his family.”
Wayne Kennerknecht, owner of McDonald’s in Cape Breton said Morales was the first temporary foreign worker for his restaurants when he arrived in August 2011 and was pleased to see him become a full Canadian citizen seven years later.
“We had put an application out looking for people,” Kennerknecht recalled. “If you are going back to 2011, it was really ugly right across Canada. Labour was tight. The government opened up this portal for temporary foreign workers. We were really struggling here in Cape Breton, so we were able to try it. I think we brought over initially nine people. We saw right away within a couple of months how successful it was going to be and we just kept going forward.”
About
- Jon Morales
- Age: 40
- From: Phillipines
- Years in C.B.: 12 and counting
- Job: Manager
- Award: 2023 McDonalds Outstanding Manager of the Year
Many others have followed Morales from the Philippines to Cape Breton McDonald’s restaurants since 2011 and most are now Canadian citizens with homes and cars and children.
“Bringing these guys over was a real saviour for us because we were really shy on management,” said Kennerknecht.
“When we brought these people over they had experience with McDonald’s. We couldn’t even bring them into the country without it. All of a sudden, we had a vast amount. We had to Canadian-ize them because what happens in the Philippines doesn’t happen in Canada.”
The work effort and ability to absorb new things are what stood out from the new employees, he said. Most are now running restaurants.
“There’s been some that have moved on. I’m not saying we are running at 100 per cent. Some who have moved on have been very successful. There’s been a maintenance man that has said to me, ‘Wayne, I want to become an electrician.’ He has done just that. He has his red seal. Some have become nurses. It has all been really good and I’m happy about how the whole thing has worked out.”
Though labour shortages are in the news again, Kennerknecht said it has not been an issue at his restaurants. He said he keeps his staff by ‘sharing the wealth’ with all his managers and treating his crew well. He’s been best man at one of their weddings, and helped with loans and car and home purchases, too.
“It is just taking good care of everybody that works for me and staying humble and the rest is history.”
“Bringing these guys over was a real saviour for us.” — Wayne Kennerknecht, McDonald’s Cape Breton
Initially, Morales spent three months at the Sydney River McDonalds before moving to Welton Street for three years and then. Glace Bay for three more before settling in North Sydney.
As the manager of the North Sydney McDonald’s, the outstanding achievement award he received recognizes quality, service, cleanliness, people skills, sales, and guest counts.
Kennerknecht thinks only two other managers in Atlantic Canada received the award.
Eight members of the local franchise will travel to Toronto May 3-4 for a national convention to celebrate the award and other achievements.
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