[:en]Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) Chairman of the Canadian Executive Board, Robert Kucheran, addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade on Bill C-4, An Act to Implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of American and the United Mexican States (CUSMA). Find the full CBTU submission here: CBTU Submission on Bill C-4 and a statement from CBTU Chairman Robert Kucheran, below.

 

Canada’s Building Trades Unions thanks the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade for the opportunity to voice support for Bill C-4.  Labour standards and working conditions have always been a priority for the CBTU and our affiliates, and we applaud and support the Government of Canada in its goal to level the playing field on labour standards and working conditions to ensure parties do not lower their levels of protection to attract trade or investment but raise them to the higher standard through the extensive labour chapter included in the CUSMA.

CBTU would have liked to see greater access for qualified construction workers between Canada, the United States and Mexico. With similarities in training and accreditation for these skilled trades in both Canada and the United States specifically, we believe shortages in labour supply can have a North America solution. We understand that Canada’s negotiators attempted to include this in the negotiations, but that ultimately it didn’t make it into the text of the agreement. CBTU is committed to continuing to work closely with the federal government on ensuring workers and Canadian jobs are kept in the forefront, in any trade negotiation, while we continue to represent the voices of over half a million organized skilled trades members across Canada.

 — Robert Kucheran, Chairman, Canada’s Building Trades Unions

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