June 21, Ottawa – Today marks National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, a day to celebrate Indigenous communities across the country, their cultures, and contributions to Canadian society. There are many ways to participate in person and online, and Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) encourages our members from coast to coast to take part in this important day in any way they can.
Our relationships with Indigenous communities are reflected in the commitments CBTU has made to uphold our adoption of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, our ongoing commitment to our indigenous reconciliation action plan, and our commitment to meaningful consultation, building strong relationships, and ensuring Indigenous peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the unionized construction sector.
CBTU is proud to offer online Indigenous Awareness Training to our members to increase their understanding of the history of Indigenous peoples and prepare Building Trades leaders for relationship-building with Indigenous workers and communities. Hundreds of union leaders have taken the time to complete the training and implement it in their workplaces.
Apprenticeship opportunities for Indigenous peoples are prioritized through the agreements signed by the Building Trades and partner organizations, including our recent Memorandum of Understanding that CBTU signed earlier this year with the First Nations Power Authority, an organization that facilitates procurement pathways for Indigenous companies in clean energy development.
“Canada’s Building Trades Unions looks forward to continuing to work with Indigenous partners, communities, and organizations across Canada to offer rewarding careers for Indigenous people in the new era of major projects,” said CBTU Executive Director Sean Strickland. “We will continue to advocate strongly for apprenticeship conditions, community benefit agreements, and Indigenous hiring guarantees so that reconciliation is incorporated into every aspect of our work as unions.”
The Building Trades will ensure Indigenous peoples will always be welcome in in our union halls. CBTU encourages all members to take part in this important day and learn about the contributions Indigenous peoples have made to the construction sector throughout our shared history.
