Manitoba’s Premier has made a promise to increase unionization in Manitoba and is following up with the labour policies that are being implemented.
Merit Contractors Association of Manitoba is the only Business Association in the Province that exclusively has a membership of Open Shop /non union Contractors. Merit has 170 plus members representing over 6,000 employees and believe in a business environment where construction contracts are awarded on the basis of corporate merit.
Premier Kinew has promised to increase unionizion and is following through with his labour policies. The labour laws that are being introduced currently do not favour a competitive workforce in the construction industry. The repeal of Bill 7, the public sector construction projects (tendering repeal act) the repeal of mandatory secret ballot vote for unionization, and the changes to ratios for journeymen to apprentices will move us backward not forward.
The repeal of Bill 7 the public sector construction projects (tendering repeal act) will result in bidding access being restricted to specific unionized contracts affiliated with the building trades as is the case other Provinces such as British Columbia.
As a result, approximately seven out of 10 Manitoban construction contractors will be discouraged from bidding on such projects. Less competition, and increased cost are the result. The Labour Relations Amendement Act eliminates mandatory secret ballot vote for union certification. Everyone deserves a secret ballot vote, but open shop workers, who represent 70per cent of construction workers in construction when making a decision to unionize do not. This is wrong.
In a democracy, we don’t choose our goverments by a show of hands. Instead we give every citizen the right to express their choice clearly and freely in the security and privacy of the voting booth. It’s disturbing that in Manitoba, in construction we are moving to a card check, sign the card system. No opportunity for each employee to reflect and to clearly and privately state their preference; and no consideration for the sort of persuasion and pressure that may have been brought to bear in securing signatures.
Another issue is the change in ratio for journeymen to apprentices back to 1 :1 from 2 :1. Recruiting and retaining a skilled labour force is important in the industry. This will reduce the number of apprentices in the system and reduce the ability for the the province and the industry to create skilled jobs. The fact that the goverment has decided to change the ratios is concerning and will reduce the number of apprentices in the system. The fairness and balance in Construction in Manitoba is gone.
Yvette Milner is President of Merit Contractors of Manitoba and Manitoba Construction Industry Plan.
112-131 Provencher Blvd, Wpg., MB., R2H 0G2 Toll Free: (+1) 855 644 0251 info@meritmb.com
