Success Stories

Bill 80 (Saskatchewan): Amendments to the Saskatchewan Construction Industry Labour Relations Act

PCA was a key stakeholder advocate, successfully urging the Saskatchewan Party government to discontinue a decades-long rule that limited public infrastructure construction to the Canadian Building Trades Union. Once passed, Bill 80 resulted in amendments to labour laws, allowing for “all-employee” bargaining units including the ability for independent progressive unions like CLAC to represent workers in the province.

Bill 66 (BC) : Public Sector Employer Amendment Act

PCA was instrumental in working with the BC Liberal party (sitting in Opposition), to effect an agreement with the B.C. Green party (which had a Supply & Confidence Agreement with the B.C. NDP), to change a key labour law. The unprecedented vote in the legislature resulted in the extension of the “open period” (union raiding time frame) from annual to once every three years.

Stop the Trades Tax Initiative: Opposing the Ontario College of Trades

PCA led the Stop the Trades Tax initiative with a group of like-minded organizations to oppose the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT). PCA’s opposition to the Ontario College of Trades resulted in the passage of Bill 47: Making Ontario Open for Business Act and eventually the abolishment of OCOT.

Bill 32 (Alberta): Restoring Balance in Alberta's Workplaces Act

PCA was again the leading voice successfully advocating that the Alberta United Conservative Party (UCP) allow for "all-employee" bargaining units in the construction sector, after over two decades. This change ended the long-standing practice of requiring collective agreements outside of the Building Trades Unions/Registration to conform to the ill-fitting requirements to structure bargaining units based on separate craft jurisdictions.

Bill 32 also restored the capability of management and unions to renew collective agreements before their stated expiry, allowing for a more nimble response to changing market conditions.

Lowering Journeyperson to Apprentice Ratios (Ontario)

PCA successfully advocated to lower the ratio of journeypersons to apprentices on construction sites. This allows for more apprentices to be trained in a trade within a reasonable timeframe.

This is a major addition to the various avenues being taken to help solve the skilled labour shortage crisis facing the Canadian construction industry today.

Open Managed Site designations

PCA has a solid track record in advocating for and educating major project proponents on the productive and successful nature of "open managed sites".

Formerly, practices of utilizing a "closed shop" model for major projects resulted in cost overruns, labour tensions, and low productivity. In contrast, PCA's championing of open managed sites in the oil sands, potash, LNG, mining, infrastructure, petrochemical, renewable, and pipeline sectors has resulted in tens of billions of dollars of projects being undertaken with high levels of involvement by our members, on projects demonstrating a variety of labour models and contractor innovation.

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