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STATEMENT BY CANADA’S BUILDING TRADES UNIONS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S JUST TRANSITION ENGAGEMENT

Today, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, Sean Strickland, released the following statement on the Federal Government’s announcement on its Just Transition Engagement:

“Canada’s Building Trades Unions welcome today’s announcement from the Federal Government, to launch an engagement process on developing Just Transition legislation – an important step forward to provide sector-specific support as the economy transitions to Net Zero. CBTU is looking forward to actively participating in the engagement process to ensure our workers voices are heard.

Support for energy workers as we transition to a renewable, greener economy is something the CBTU has been strongly advocating for and we’re pleased to see Minister O’Regan and the Government moving forward on their commitment to support workers and communities impacted by this transition.

In recent years, changes in the energy sector have led to increases in layoff rates. Displaced workers then experience loss in earnings and significant difficulties in obtaining employment in other industries. Without the appropriate training, support and guidance, workers struggle to secure employment opportunities and face persistent and ongoing hardships, which in turn impact their families and local communities. As the Canadian economy transitions to net zero, energy workers in the construction industry are in dire-need of industry-specific support which should include supporting skilled labour mobility through the support of a tax deduction that will remove barriers for workers to travel to where the work is.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions stands ready to work with the Government to ensure that energy workers issues are heard and understood and look forward to continuing to work with Minister O’Regan and Minister Qualtrough on this important initiative.”

Comments on the Just Transition approach can be made through www.just-transition.ca  and will be open until September 30, 2021.

About CBTU

Canada’s Building Trades Unions are an alliance of 14 international unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries that collectively represent over 600,000 skilled trades workers in Canada. Each year, our unions and our signatory contractor partners invest over $300 million in private sector money to fund and operate over 175 apprenticeship training and education facilities across Canada that produce the safest, most highly trained and productive skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. Canada’s Building Trades Unions represent members who work in more than 60 different trades and occupations, and generate six per cent of Canada’s GDP. For more information, go to www.buildingtrades.ca.

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