It is with sadness we must acknowledge the passing of former Premier of British Columbia, John Horgan. During his time in office, Premier Horgan demonstrated an unwavering commitment to B.C.’s working people, advocating for policies that not only prioritized labour rights, but fought for fair wages, and the development of sustainable infrastructure.  His leadership guided a strengthened partnership between labour and government, paving the way for investments in public projects that created thousands of good-paying jobs and improved the quality of life for communities across the province.   Premier Horgan was an ally to Canada’s unionized skilled tradespeople and was committed to working collaboratively with our industry to address the unique challenges we face. His passion for advancing skilled trades and ensuring that workers had a voice

Ottawa, ON – CBTU will review government regulations that would cap oil and gas sector GHG emissions, once proposed regulations are published later this week. CBTU will be looking to ensure that skilled trades workers’ jobs in the oil and gas sector are protected through the transition to net-zero, while new opportunities are created through projects taking full advantage of emissions-reducing technology like Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage that will allow the oil and gas industry to continue to deliver significant economic benefit, lower emissions, and maintain strong employment for our members. While Canada’s Building Trades Unions supports the transition to a net-zero clean economy, this transition must be accomplished with smart, coherent regulations in a manner that’s consistent with maximizing economic benefit to Canadian

Labour Day is a time of year to look back at the successes we’ve experienced, and set new focus for the year ahead. Labour enjoyed a historic 2024 Parliamentary session that included the implementation of Bill C-59 and the Investment Tax Credits, Bill C-50 and the Sustainable Jobs Act, and Bill C-58’s federal ban on replacement workers, laying a foundation of regulatory-focus on Canada’s workers and setting the stage for a prosperous 2025 legislative session.  While we anticipate a busy season unlocked by the Investment Tax Credits, our work isn’t done yet. We are reenergizing our call with federal stakeholders to support Canada’s tradespeople by celebrating the unparalleled skill and the opportunity we have to continue leading the transition towards a net-zero economy. This fall, we

Earlier today, Employment and Social Development Canada announced further changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. While Canada’s Building Trades Unions is encouraged to see steps being taken to reduce the overall number of temporary workers that can be employed by a single employer, there remains significant gaps before this program can be considered anything other than a wage suppressor for Canada’s tradespeople. The omission of our sector from the reforms announced is disappointing, and the workers we are relying on to build our country deserve to be a legislative priority.   We will review today’s announcement in more detail and will continue reinforcing the solutions that can be implemented to repair some of the most derelict areas of the program to create supports that work

Canada’s Building Trades Unions are profoundly grateful for the immense accomplishments of the Hon. Seamus O’Regan as he steps down as Minister of Labour today, leaving a tremendous legacy of successful policies that will benefit working people in Canada for decades to come. “Seamus O’Regan will be remembered as one of the best Labour ministers this country has seen,” said Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, “We will be forever grateful for his years of service to workers across the country and his steadfast friendship and support of the building trades.” During his time as Minister of Labour, O’Regan saw through major wins for workers in Canada, including historic and long sought after anti-scab legislation for federally regulated workers, as well as

Canada’s Building Trades Unions is celebrating the passage of key legislation this week which delivers major wins for Canadian skilled trades workers, and workers across the country. This week saw final votes on Bills C-59, which implemented the Investment Tax Credits, C-50, the Sustainable Jobs Act, and C-58, which introduced a federal ban on replacement workers. “The Investment Tax Credits are a game-changer for our workers. Now, investments in the clean economy are tied to strong, union-negotiated wages for construction workers, as well as opportunities for apprentices,”says Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, “The Investment Tax Credits have the strongest definition of prevailing wage in Canadian labour history. This is a tremendous win for all workers in the construction industry.” The Investment

Canada’s Building Trades Unions are voicing their support for the federal government’s changes to the capital gains tax inclusion rate, which was previously announced, and will be voted on by the House of Commons this week. The proposed change to the tax code will help fund important programs for the benefit of all Canadian workers including pharmacare, childcare, increased healthcare spending. “The inclusion rate for our members wages is one hundred percent, taxed as income at the marginal rate, while only half of capital gains are taxed at all. Raising that to two-thirds, and only on capital gains above $250,000 each year, is a step towards tax fairness for people who work for a living,” said Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions,

Canada’s Building Trades Unions is celebrating significant progress for Canadian skilled trades workers this week as Bills C-58 and C-59 were passed by the House of Commons and head to the Senate. Bill C-58 bans the use of replacement workers in federally regulated sectors, and Bill C-59 introduces game-changing Investment Tax Credits, which contain both prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. “Bill C-59 has the strongest definition of prevailing wage in Canadian labour history, a direct reference to the wages we negotiate through our multi-employer collective agreements,” says Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, “all construction workers in Canada will benefit from tying these tax incentives to paying good wages, union wages, to workers building the clean economy of the future. The apprenticeship

Today, the Hon. Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages of Canada joined leaders from Canada’s Building Trades Unions, Provincial Building Trades Councils, and workforce development partners SkillPlan, Future Skills Centre, Magnet, and SRDC to announce $5.5 million in investments supporting apprenticeships, and national-scale recruitment, assessment, and training to help underrepresented workers find well-paid careers in the skilled trades. “Canadians are ready to work – and we are ready to provide a path towards their dream jobs,” says Minister Boissonnault, “Together with CBTU, SkillPlan and a variety of other organizations – our government is making it easier to train and get work in the trades. By building this infrastructure, we are ensuring that every generation has access to fulfilling and good paying