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VICTORIA – A private member’s bill introduced Thursday (March 5) by Prince George-Mackenzie Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens coined “The Public Sector ��������ion Projects Procurement Act” is being both praised and condemned by various construction associations.

According to the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), the bill would require labour-neutral procurement on all public sector construction projects in British Columbia and prohibit “government and crown corporations from issuing calls for construction that require building trades union-only labour or mandate that contractors enter into a specific collective agreement as a condition of bidding.”

“With no end in sight to B.C.’s deficits and debt, the last thing we should be doing is driving up government costs by limiting the pool of qualified contractors and workers who can bid on public work,” said Chris Gardner, ICBA president and CEO, in a statement. “By freezing out workers who are not unionized, or are members of progressive unions or employee associations, the NDP government is denying workers and contractors fair opportunities to bid and win work, wasting taxpayer dollars, and delaying the delivery of new infrastructure for the public when people need it.”

The ICBA noted it represents contractors who employ both union and non-union workers and states this bill “mandates a level playing field.

“It simply says that government should award contracts based on merit: safety record, qualifications, experience, price and the ability to get the job done.”

The association is calling on all MLAs to support the bill for full debate, a free vote and approval.

The BC Building Trades (BCBT) has an entirely different point of view, stating the “proposal is a direct attack on provisions that prioritize local labour, ensuring British Columbians are first in line for jobs on B.C. projects. It is an attack on fair wages, safe working conditions and the skilled union workforce that builds and maintains the province’s public infrastructure.”

The BCBT also said they recently met with the BC Conservative caucus and at “no point during that meeting were labour leaders informed that legislation to ban project labour agreements was imminent.”

The organization states project labour agreements and community benefit agreements are “proven tools that help ensure large, complex projects are completed efficiently, safely and with a guaranteed supply of highly trained and qualified workers.”

The BCBT is calling on the Conservative Party of BC to withdraw the legislation.

The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) has come out saying it strongly supports the act, adding the association has long highlighted how restrictive tendering systems drive up costs and limit competition.

“The Public Sector ��������ion Projects Procurement Act is a smart, forward-looking reform that puts fairness and value for taxpayers first,” stated PCA president CEO Paul de Jong.

“By opening up public projects to all qualified builders, British Columbia would benefit from more competition, resulting in better outcomes and a more innovative construction sector.”

But Teamsters Local 213 says it “condemns the BC Conservatives in their latest attack on the working people of British Columbia.”

Teamsters 213 principal officer Tony Santavenere said there seems to be a lack of understanding of the current construction climate in B.C.

“There is no limitation as to who can work on public infrastructure projects and there never has been,” he said.

“The Conservatives say this bill is about fairness, but it’s really about a race to the bottom.”

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 shares a similar view.

 “MLA Kiel Giddens is either misleading British Columbians or has not taken the time to understand the agreement,” said business manager Bryan Railton, adding the “proposed bill is dangerous for British Columbians, fiscally irresponsible, and should be opposed by every MLA in the legislature.”