Dear Prime Minister Carney, and Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu
As a tradesperson and a construction industry professional, I was pleased when Bill C-5 passed this summer. Key elements of the Bill include improved labour mobility across Canada and the expedited approval process for projects deemed in the national interest. This is a good first step for Canadian workers and the Canadian economy, but more needs to be done.
I was especially pleased to see that the only amendment to Bill C-5 was the addition of language mandating the creation of “good-paying, unionized jobs”. Now it is time to make the promise of good-paying, unionized jobs a reality.
That’s why I’m writing to you today.
To make unionized jobs a reality, any projects approved through the Major Projects Office involving taxpayer funding must include project labour agreements, pay prevailing wage and have mandatory apprenticeship requirements attached to them.
Adding these requirements to Bill C-5 would mirror the language in Bill C-59, which was passed in 2023 and included the implementation of Investment Tax Credits in clean technology, carbon capture, utilization and storage, and hydrogen.
Bill C-59 stipulated that each covered worker must be compensated for their work reflecting “the most recent multi-employer collective bargaining agreement negotiated with a trade union that is an affiliate of Canada’s Building Trades Unions” and that incentive claimants must make “reasonable efforts to ensure that apprentices registered in a Red Seal trade work at least 10% of the total hours” on the specified project. Employers who meet these requirements are eligible to claim 30-40% tax credits.
These requirements are essential for Canada’s economy, and for the skilled trades workers like me who build Canada’s critical infrastructure and will usher in a new era of nation-building projects.
Your government has the opportunity to make Bill C-5 as much of a win for all construction workers as it is for the economy. Together, we can build the critical infrastructure that Canada needs to become a global energy leader.
Sincerely,
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