December 16, 2021

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released new ministerial mandate letters to guide the work of Cabinet to support Canadians through this trying time and build a better Canada.

“Today, the Government of Canada showed strong leadership and tremendous support for Canada’s skilled trades workforce by including the following in Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan’s letters, that their work going forward would include:

• Introduce a Labour Mobility Tax Credit to allow workers in the building and construction trades to expense eligible travel and temporary relocation costs.

This is an issue Canada’s Building Trades Unions have long advocated for and we are very pleased to see support demonstrated from this Government again, that recognizes the enormous contributions skilled trades workers make to our economy. This change will ensure tax fairness for the women and men who go to work, every day, to build a better Canada.

We stand ready to work with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour to ensure this important policy is realized in a manner that is fiscally responsible and improves labour mobility of Canada’s skilled trades workforce.”

-Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions

For the full Ministerial Letters, visit here.

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Media Contact

Kate Walsh  kwalsh@buildingtrades.ca 613.298.0652

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 195 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.