Statement by Canada’s Building Trades Unions on Sustainable Jobs Plan

Today, the Government of Canada published its Sustainable Jobs Plan. The plan includes 10 key action areas including establishing government bodies to support sustainable jobs; improving labour market data collection; and actions to motivate investors and industry leadership to support workers. Legislation is set to be tabled later this year, which will lay out a framework for accountability, engagement, and transparency.  

“Canada’s Building Trades Unions welcome the Sustainable Jobs Plan and will continue to work closely with the Government to ensure the plan provides solutions that keep workers at the forefront of the transition to net-zero. Supports needed during this transformative period include enhanced apprenticeship and training programs for displaced workers, creating more opportunities for equity-deserving groups and the inclusion of high labour standards linked to clean technology that will grow Canada’s skilled trades workforce. As we look to Budget 2023, ensuring incentives like the Investment Tax Credits are tied to high labour standards, apprenticeship and diversity hiring will maximize benefits for the entire economy and create a legacy of good paying, middle-class jobs throughout this transition.”  

– Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions. 

“As we transition to net-zero, Albertans need a strong plan that protects our jobs, supports workers and our economy if we are going to be successful. This is no small task, and with many of our members working in the oil and gas sector, industry, labour, and government must work together to ensure workers have the necessary supports – from training and education, to jobs in clean technology tied to good labour standards to ensure skilled trades workers are fully supported during this period.”

– Terry Parker, Executive Director of the Building Trades of Alberta. 

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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

About the Building Trades of Alberta

Building Trades of Alberta coordinates and promotes the interests of 18 Alberta trade unions whose 60,000 members work in the residential, commercial and industrial construction, maintenance, and fabrication industries.

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