Canada’s Building Trades Unions has reviewed today’s announcement by the Hon. Marc Miller, Minister Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, regarding new pilot programs in the construction industry aimed at addressing the underground economy, enhancing worker protections, and easing the process for apprentices to upgrade their skills without excessive red tape.
“We appreciate the Minister’s initiative to address undocumented workers in the underground economy and to help those workers gain the status and protections they deserve,” says Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, “These workers are present on job sites across Canada, but often lack basic protections like workplace safety and insurance. Their out-of-status situation makes it difficult for them to report unsafe or exploitative conditions.”
The government’s expanded pilot program builds on an initial pilot program led by Canada’s Building Trades Unions affiliates and the Canadian Labour Congress, which successfully supported nearly 500 workers in obtaining status, provided them union membership and training, and helped them enter the legitimate construction economy. Each year, thousands of workers in the underground cash construction economy face mistreatment by employers who evade taxes, fail to provide health or workplace safety protections, and pay below the minimum wage.
“We also support the Minister’s effort to address regulatory barriers for apprentices,” added Strickland. “Apprentices earn while they learn, and the work-permit and study-permit system wasn’t designed with apprenticeship in mind. The changes announced by the Minister will help registered apprentices upgrade their skills without needing to obtain a study permit.”
In addition to these pilot programs and regulatory changes, Minister Miller also announced a new pilot program designed to address Canada’s skilled trades labour market needs, by establishing a tripartite advisory body to make recommendations to the department on how best to attract international skilled trades workers.
“We appreciate the government’s engagement with our unions on attracting international skilled trades talent,” said Strickland. “With tariffs causing significant potential economic disruption, we need to take a close look at immigration pathways, and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, to ensure we are balancing immigration against unemployment rates and the interests of Canadian workers. We look forward to getting around the table with industry, government, and our affiliate unions.”
