Certification doesn’t protect you from being undercut on price

Last week, carpenter Jamie from Alberta said that Red Seal qualified tradespeople should stick together, across Canada, to protect prices.

Our frequent contributor Mark Mitchell replies that qualifications don’t protect prices, since “there is always someone willing to work cheaper.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Jamie. While certification and completing trade school certainly show dedication, it doesn’t mean you won’t get undercut. I’m a compulsory trade refrigeration mechanic, plus a gas fitter 1, plus an oil burner mechanic, plus I have several brazing licences for high pressure refrigeration piping… and I’m constantly being undercut by other companies. We, in central Ontario, are competing against companies that are paying 1990 wages to licensed journeymen. More regulation does not stop this tide of foolishness. There is always someone willing to work cheaper. It’s a result of global equalization.”