Ottawa, ON – Today, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) announced the release of its Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan (IRAP), a national, structured framework designed to advance Indigenous participation, leadership, and economic opportunity across the unionized construction sector.  Led by CBTU’s Director of Workforce Development, Lindsay Amundsen, and in partnership with Mokwateh, an Indigenous-owned consultancy, the IRAP establishes a coordinated, sector-wide approach to reconciliation, providing practical tools, clear commitments, and measurable pathways for CBTU affiliates and provincial councils to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and expand access to careers in the skilled trades.  The IRAP builds on CBTU’s 2017 adoption of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action #92, reaffirming commitments to meaningful consultation, equitable access to jobs and training, and education on Indigenous history, rights, and cultures.  “We stand at

Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) congratulate Avi Lewis on his election as leader of the New Democratic Party. On behalf of the more than 500,000 skilled trades workers represented by our 14 affiliated unions across the country, we welcome this moment of opportunity for the party.  CBTU is a non-partisan organization. Our focus is, and always will be, on advocating for public policies that improve the lives of our members and by extension, all construction workers in Canada. That’s the union way.   Over the years, we have found areas of meaningful alignment with the NDP, particularly on advancing the interests of working people.  With the support of the NDP in the last Parliament, through the Supply and Confidence agreement with the governing Liberals, important progress was made for Canada’s labour movement; including, anti-scab legislation for federally regulated workers, the establishment of prevailing wage

Canada’s Building Trades Unions strongly welcomes Prime Minister Mark Carney’s comprehensive Northern and Arctic plan. After decades of intermittent investment, this sustained, strategic commitment to defence infrastructure, all‑season corridors, airports, energy, and critical‑minerals development creates a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to secure sovereignty and build enduring prosperity across Northern Canada.  “These investments can, and must, deliver meaningful, long‑term employment for Canada’s tradespeople, including those in the North,” said Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “Strengthening Canada’s North will simultaneously reinforce Canada’s economy, improve Canada’s ability to defend its sovereignty, and bolster our internal trade capabilities, driving further interconnection and mobility across our country.”  The announced initiatives, from Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit and Deployed Operating Base 5 Wing Goose Bay, to Northern Operational Support Hubs in Whitehorse and Resolute and Support