News

June 15, 2017

Mr. John Horgan
Leader of the Official Opposition
Room 201, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
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Mr. Andrew Weaver
Leader of the BC Green Party
Room 027C, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
V8V 1X4
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Vancouver (June 8, 2017) – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) is pleased to support a campaign launched today advocating for the completion of …

Sault Ste. Marie (May 29, 2017) – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada
(PCA) congratulates Councillor Shoemaker for his leadership and Sault Council for its
unanimous decision calling for a report into the impact of construction labo…

Taxpayers Paying Way Too Much For Local Projects

Sault Ste. Marie (May 26, 2017) – Sault taxpayers are being over charged by as much as 30 percent each year for construction projects, according to the Progressive Contra…

(Edmonton, May 24, 2017) – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) is pleased the Alberta government heard its warning that now is NOT the time for radical labour code change in Alberta’s current …

We are proud of the safety leadership PCA member Willbros has shown with this important and sobering video.

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Toronto, April 27, 2017 – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) welcomes the Ontario government’s continued investment and commitment to skills training in today’s budget through its focus on modernizing the p…

EDMONTON, March 22, 2017 – Today, the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) welcomed the federal government’s budget commitments in the area of skills training but also cautioned against consistent deficit spending a…

(Edmonton, March 14, 2017) – A leading association of Canadian construction contractors is encouraging the Alberta Government to avoid unnecessary changes to the province’s Labour Relations Code, following yester…

Edmonton (Feb. 14, 2017) – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) is pleased to announce Rieghardt van Enter as its new Regional Director, British Columbia.

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Edmonton, Jan. 11, 2017 – A leading association of Canadian construction contractors is delighted Kinder Morgan Canada’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project has received the support and approval of the B.C. government.

“We’re…

Li…

Edmonton, Nov. 29, 2016 – A leading association of Canadian construction contractors is celebrating today’s approval of two key pipelines – Kinder Morgan Canada’s Trans Mountain Expansion project and the Enbridge Line 3 pipel…

Construction companies step up efforts to recruit more women

November 24, 2016 by Danna O’Brien

Last January, 38-year-old Diane Logan did what she describes as a complete 180. After 10 years a…

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The Progressive Contrac…

Ontario Labour Relations Board Ruling Supports Fair Construction Tendering

Greater Essex County District School Board Wins First Successful Appeal of its Kind

Windsor, Oct. 11, 2016 – The Progressive…

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PCA Boosts National Effort To Get LNG and Pipeline Projects Built …

 
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Journal Of Commerce – New research sheds light on productivity and competency

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VICTORIA, May 3, 2016 – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) and the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) today met with various BC Ministers, MLAs and senior staff, sharing the benefits of progressive labour and Open M…

EDMONTON, Apr 20, 2016 – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) today welcomed Brian Pallister as Premier of Manitoba, the first new government in Manitoba since Gary Doer first won in 1999.

“We think Premier Pallister will b…

This article originally appeared online in the Journal Of Commerce Mar 30, 2016 (…

This article originally appeared in the Canadian Design and Construction Report (retrieved on March 16th here: http://www.cadcr.com/clac-and-pca-develop-collaborative-and-flexible-model-for-construction-industry-labour-relations/) …

This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post (retrieved at http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/8938196 on March 15, 2016)

By Paul de Jong

Nobody envies Toronto Mayor John Tory…

EDMONTON, Feb. 17, 2016 – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) today welcomed the 2016 BC provincial budget, the fourth straight balanced budget in British Columbia.

“Our members understand the value of fiscal control,” said …

EDMONTON, Dec. 4, 2015 /CNW/ – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) today welcomed the new federal government’s focus on infrastructure in the Speech from the Throne. The Speech outlined key federal government priorities on infrast…

VICTORIA, Nov. 26. 2015 /CNW/ – Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) President Paul de Jong today congratulated BC Hydro on selecting its preferred partner for the Site C project.

“We have encouraged BC Hydro to take the ‘open managed site’ approach to this project and today they confirmed their commitment to ensuring that British Columbians, regardless of labour model, will be able to work on Site C,” de Jong said….

EDMONTON, Nov. 24, 2015 /CNW/ – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) see the recently released Dean Report, which provided recommendations to improve decision-making processes at the Ontario College of Trades and clarify its mandate, as a ‘solid step forward’.

“The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada commends Tony Dean for taking a thoughtful, transparent and open approach to this review. Its recommendations are clearly directed at improving the objectivity and evidence-driven nature of the College’s processes”, says Darrel Reid, PCA’s Vice President of Policy and Advocacy….

On August 27 PCA leadership conduced a special in-depth briefing for PCA members on Alberta’s new NDP government.  The event was fully-subscribed, with over 40 members attending.  The purpose was to provide PCA members with an understanding of th…

Last Friday, PCA held another successful Golf Tournament at Sturgeon Valley Golf Club in St Albert, AB.  We had great weather, great fun and lots of laughs!  …

BC Ministers Shirley Bond and Bill Bennett reconfirmed to CLAC and the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) today the BC government’s commitment to build Site C using the open managed site model.

“We came here today to talk to…

On May 5 Albertans chose to end a 43-year Progressive Conservative dynasty by electing a majority NDP government under Premier-elect Rachel Notley.

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Ottawa, April 21, 2015 – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) today welcomed the federal government’s continued commitment to the skilled trades sector in Economic Action Plan (EAP) 2015. EAP 2015 includes several initiatives t…

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CALGARY, March 2, 2015 – Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) President Paul de Jongtoday argued on behalf …

TORONTO, July 18, 2014 – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) welcomes the federal government’s agreement with the provinces and territories to improve foreign credential recognition for 10 new occupations, including carpenters…

PCA was pleased to join Prime Minister Stephen Harper today for an important Government of Canada announcement in support of the skilled trades. The announcement took place at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario and focused on so…

PCA and CLAC not surprised but are frustrated by the decision
Waterloo: It is almost certain now that the Region of Waterloo will be forced to shut out thousands of local workers and many local companies from pubi…

TORONTO, March 6, 2014 – Today, the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) applauded the Government of …

 
February 18, 2014 – Edmonton,…

 
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PCA Federal Director Sean Reid recently submitted a letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail in response to this editorial regarding the Canada Job Grant: …

Progressively unionized construction employers praise panel for appro…

Toronto (November 27, 2013) –…

Michael Harris, the MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga, not the former premier, has an excellent summer project. He’s travelling the province to drum up support for a piece of legislation he tabled in May, called the …

PCA and CLAC applaud School Boards firm commitment to fair and open tendering
WINDSOR: The Greater Essex County District School Board passed a Resolution calling on the Provincial Government to address the inequity in the Labour R…

PCA Federal and Ontario Director Sean Reid weighs in on recent protests over Enbridge’s Line 9B Reserval pipeline project, arguing these protests are about fame, not facts.
Read the article …

Sean Reid, Federal and Ontario Director of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada, reveals to David Menzies of Sun News Network how some unions are more equal than others when it comes to municipal contracts. Watch the interview …

PCA and CLAC applaud Municipal advocacy to prevent closed tendering
TORONTO – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) and the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) applaud the call from May…

The Fair and Open Tendering Act ensures fairness and fiscal responsibility
TORONTO, May 16, 2013 /CNW/ – The Progressive Contractors Association of …

Progressive Contractors Association of Canada ready to work with Government to maximize value for taxpayers and fairness for all industry participants
EDMONTON, March 21, 2013 – The Progressive Contra…

Recently, PCA Ontario and Federal Director Sean Reid and CLAC representative Ian Dewaard spoke to 570News in Waterloo about the threat of restrictive tendering in that Region. Listen to their interview with morning show host Gary Doyle …

CAMBRIDGE – The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) and the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) are calling on the Region of Waterloo to keep the Region open for business and fight a threat to limit who can bid on local…

The phrase “hewers of wood and drawers water” used to be bad. From its original use in the King James Bible to today, the term stood for a lifetime of economic…

Ontario Government renewal of exclusive construction contract will cost TDSB millions
Toronto – Progressive unionized construction contractors in Ontario are outraged that the McGuinty government has unilaterally renewed the cos…

TORONTO — An Ontario-based campaign was launched Thursday to combat an unfair tax aimed at trades people that will cost the consumer big bucks, a coalition group said.
Read the full article and watch the video …

Sharp Pencils and Big Fat Cheques
Source: Inside Queen’s Park Vol. 25, No. 15, a publication of GP Murray Research Limited
The Toronto Star investigation of eye-popping charges by the…

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario needs to focus on growing its economy and creating jobs by ending antique labour practices – such as closed tendering – which lie at the root of a growing scandal involving the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), P…

Toronto – Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) today welcomed the inclusion of Open Tendering as a central issue within the Ontario PC Party’s just released policy whitepaper, “Paths to Prosperity: Flexible Labour Markets”….

On June 20, representatives from Alberta’s energy and construction industries announced the launch of a new pilot project, which entails comprehensive workplace alcohol and drug programs, including random workplace testing. PCA and its contracto…

The PCA-led Ontario Construction Employers Coalition campaign to urge the McGuinty government to shut down its newly formed Ontario College of Trades continues to gain momentum with four more associations joining the fight. 
Read the full…

TORONTO, June 7, 2012 /CNW/ – The Ontario Construction Employers Coalition fears the McGuinty government’s newly formed Ontario College of Trades is backing down on its commitment to an open and transparent consultation process.
Read the …

The Ontario Construction Employers Coalition is calling the Ontario College of Trade’s proposed membership an $84 million “tax grab” that should be scrapped.
Read the full …

Historic new tax offers no benefit to hard working tradespeople
TORONTO, May 31, 2012 /CNW/ – The Ontario Construction Employers Coalition is calling a proposal to impose membership fees on the provin…

The Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) [a member of the PCA-led Ontario Construction Employers Coalition] has initiated a letter writing campaign to raise awareness about issues at the Ontario College of Trades that it says will restri…

It’s not often that the construction industry overwhelmingly agrees on an issue, but close to 90 per cent of it opposes the new classes of membership by the Ontario College of Trades, …

Toronto, May 10, 2012 – A survey of the responses to the March/April 2012 Ontario College of Trades consultation on proposed regulations for membership reveals that 88.1% of the organizations, representing both employers and employees who respon…

On April 28, millions of Canadians will pause to reflect and pay homage to workers who have been killed or injured at their place of work.  The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) and its community of contractors join in this sobe…

The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) was present at a media event in Nisku, AB on April 25, at which the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC) announced implementation of an i…

Alberta’s PC party achieved a strong return to government on Monday April 23, and the party’s election platform “Alberta By Design” contains important acknowledgements of policy issues advocated by the Progressive Contractors Asso…

PCA and CLAC were pleased to sponsor a recent seminar: “Ministry of Labour on Your Site? What Are Your Rights and Obligations?”. The standing-room-only session, led by Karen Fields, a Partner with the law firm Crawford, Chondon and Partners LL…

Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) Executive Director, Paul de Jong, today issued the following statement regarding the recent decision of the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board to grant certification to CLAC Local 151 for five P…

The Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA), of which PCA is a member, is pleased to lend its support to Bill 8, An Act Respecting Ontario One Call, Ltd.
This legislation represents a significant evolution in the stand…

A new College of Trades has an ambitious mandate to regulate about half a million workers as the province takes a stab at reforming an apprenticeship program that originated decades ago.
Yet even before it is fully operational, it is comin…

PCA is pleased to be part of a broad coalition of business organizations calling for action on Western Canada’s labour shortage.
Check out this recent Calgary Herald article…

Progressive Conservative MPP, Rodney Jackson, continues to raise questions about the runaway construction costs of the 2015 Pan Am Games that come as a result of restritive tendering on Coty of Hamilton projects.
Check out the video of Mr….

The restrictions on the employment of apprentices in Ontario and shortages of qualified journeymen in some regions, makes the construction industry less competitive, according to the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada.
Read the …

The Council of Ontario Construction Associations, of which PCA is a member, recently provided feedback to the Office of Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer regarding proposed new workplace safety materials.
Read COCA’s submission …

Check out this video of a press conference conducted by PCA Ontario Director Sean Reid and Progressive Conservative MPP, Rod Jackson regarding the…

PCA Ontario Director Sean Reid joined Progressive Conservative MPP Rod Jackson for a press conference to shed light on the ongoing problem of construction labour restrictions at the City of Hamilton and City of Toronto, with a special focus on its…

The Council of Ontario Construction Associations, of which PCA is a member, recently provided feedback regarding the proposed Governance Framework for Ontario’s new Prevention Council.
Read COCA’s submission …

The Council of Ontario Construction Associations, of which PCA is a member, recently raised serious concerns over proposed changes to the mandate and authority of the Office of the Employer Advisor.
Read COCA’s submission …

Recently, PCA Ontario Director, Sean Reid, spoke to a graduating class at the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute (a PCA affiliate member) about the opportunities and keys to success in construction. Check it out …

The cries of foul simply won’t end. Conservative Barrie MPP Rod Jackson is calling for a review of the tendering process used for the Pan Am Games, and in a press release to announce his opposition he directly talks about the venue destined for …

PCA recently joined a group of construction industry stakeholders supporting a National Science & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) chair at the University of Alberta.  Dr. Aminah Robinson Fayek was awarded the Senior Industrial …

Ontario Road Builders Association and Ontario General Contractors Association, members of the Ontario Construction Employers Coalition, comment on the lack of transparency and fairness at the Ontario College of Trade…

Randy Hillier, Ontario Progressive Conservative Critic for Labour, challenged the Liberals to back down from implementing the College of Trades during the first Question Period of the Ontario Legislature today. Hillier said the coalition of Ontari…

Ontario Opposition Highlights Ontario College of Trades Threat to Job Creation…

The Council of Ontario Construction Associations, an important PCA industry partner on workplace safety and insurance issues, issues a submission in response to a meeting of staeholders regarding WSIB funding. Read the submission here:
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This is the year in which the oldest baby boomers (born in 1946) start to exit the workforce. Statistics Canada predicts baby boomer retirements will continue through 2031, when retirement-aged Canadians will represent about 25% of the population….

The recent appointment of the Ontario College of Trades’ board of governorshas drawn mixed reaction from the construction industry and renewed concerns about the new entity for some.
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Toronto – The recent announcement of the membership of key governance bodies for the Ontario College of Trades is cause for concern to a broad coalition of small, medium, and large construction employers across Ontario.
The coalition is …

A group of unions trying to stop the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) from representing construction workers in Saskatchewan had their legal challenge dismissed by a provincial court.
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Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
KELLY LAPOINTE – Staff Writer
 
Construction employers from around the province are calling for the abolition or overhaul of the Ontario College of Trades, citing issue…

Canada NewsWire
 
TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2011 /CNW – A broad coalition of small, medium, and large construction employers across Ontario is calling on the next provincial government to take immediate action to either overhaul or…

Edmonton Journal
Paul de Jong, Executive Director (PCA)
 
Re: “Union-busting no way to mark Labour Day; Construction lobby group only concerned with itself, not Alberta’s economic health,” by Gil McGowan, Ideas, Sep…

Canada NewsWire
 
HAMILTON, ON, Sept. 8, 2011 /CNW/- A major study released today by the Hamilton-based think tank Cardus shows that Ontario’s College of Trades is designed to fail.
The College of Trades was set up i…

Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
VINCE VERSACE – Staff Writer
 
Tim Armstrong is the perfect choice as the newly appointed chair of the Ontario College of Trades appointments council, says the provinci…

 
The Construction Sector Council recently released its annual National and Provincial Summaries detailing the coming trends forecasted within construction markets of Canada. The reports detail labour mobility trends, sector growth an…

 
Summertime brings with it the familiarity and promise of a season where we take time to relax; perhaps play a little golf, enjoy some time at the lake, or putter around the yard.
Or so we say.
This quaint image of …

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UneasyCase…

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LeaderPostAd…

PCA’s industry partner on workplace safety and insurance issues, the Council of Ontario Construction Associations, published a submission regarding funding Ontario’s workplace safety and insurance system. Read the submission here:
…

 
Ontario
Municipal work continues
Legislation in Ontario allows municipalities to be organized by unions in the same manner as any other construction employer. In practice this means that some Ontario municipalities…

TheSpec.com
Emma Reilly – Staff Writer
 
Construction of the $155-million Pan Am stadium and $11-million velodrome will be subject to the same arrangement with the carpenters’ union that costs the city millions e…

View PDF:
Why is Construction So Expensive in Ontario…

Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
VINCE VERSACE – Staff Writer
 
There is a specific challenge facing Ontario’s College of Trades that lays beyond the industry issues it is tasked to find solutions fo…

Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
VINCE VERSACE – Staff Writer
 
Essex County has turned down a proposal from LIUNA Local 625 to participate in a municipal development fund the union proposed because it…

Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
VINCE VERSACE – Staff Writer
 
All general contractors, whether affiliated or not with Hamilton’s local carpenters union, can now bid on the city’s industrial and c…

Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
VINCE VERSACE – Staff Writer
 
A proposal from a large Essex County labour union to generate municipal infrastructure funds while securing work for its members has draw…

View PDF:
Employer Joint Recommendation Final…

 
Amendments to the Saskatchewan Construction Industry Labour Relations Act (Bill 80) become effective July 1, 2010.
An Order in Council providing for proclamation of the Act has been approved by the Saskatchewan Government. B…

Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
VINCE VERSACE – Staff Writer
 
Cautious optimism best describes initial reaction from construction industry officials to the recently unveiled Ontario’s College of Tr…

RCD Digital Media | DCN News Services
The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada reports it has seen “excellent early momentum on all fronts” since opening its doors in Ontario this past December.PCAC member compan…