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As the federal government fast-tracks large-scale projects, CLAC is urging B.C.’s government not to change wall-to-wall bargaining when making a final decision on its Labour Relations Code update.

“We oppose banning wall-to-wall because it is just tax dollars going out the door,” said CLAC’s B.C. representative Nathan Mathews.

B.C.’s labour ministry is putting the final touches on its five-year review of the B.C. code update after closing off public feedback in September. The initial review recommendations and the feedback are currently under review.

“The ministry has not made any decisions on next steps and will provide an update once available,” an email from the ministry said.

CLAC is objecting to recommendation number 25, which maintains an industrial inquiry should carry out a thorough review of collective bargaining and labour relations issues in the construction industry.

Wall-to-wall is a hybrid bargaining unit between open-shop (non-union) and union craft bargaining units. In a wall-to-wall unit, all the trades operate under one bargaining unit on a project while in the craft union model each trade has its own unit and jurisdiction. Wall-to-wall has become a model for large-scale projects.

CLAC points out eight of the nine largest construction companies regularly use wall-to-wall bargaining on B.C. projects. The companies are: PCL, Ledcor, Bird, Aecon, EllisDon, Kiewit, Graham and Pomerleau, while AtkinsRealis (formerly SNC-Lavalin) is active in B.C. through the Canada Line project where work is being performed by wall-to-wall certified Cambie Street ��������ors.

Mathews gives the example of a truck driver delivering a load to a craft union site with the teamster truck driver not allowed to open the site’s gate or unload as those are union jobs beyond his jurisdiction. Each union onsite is working “in a silo,” he said.

“It is terribly inefficient,” he said, adding this also leads to jurisdictional disputes between unions on a project.

On a wall-to-wall site, the all workers are one union. The teamster trucker could open his own gate and help with the unloading and placement with goods, as long as he was competent in those areas.

Wall-to-wall provides benefits to the employer and employees including First Nations workers coming onto many of the larger projects, Mathews said.

New job entrants are not silo-bound into one craft, Mathews said.

They have the opportunity to work in a number of project areas and gain broader trades insight, allowing for a more informed decision when moving toward an apprenticeship.

Journeymen also benefit.

Mathews said some skilled workers hold up to three Red Seal certificates, allowing for lateral movement onsite.

As well, a journeyman onsite can also serve as an apprentice in another trade, Mathews said. “They love it because they are learning a new trade,” he said, adding the journeymen are still paid the higher rate despite performing apprenticeship duties.

“Employers know this is going to turn dividends later,” he said.

Mathew said CLAC sees no reason for an inquiry.

“If it is not broke – don’t fix it,” he said, adding the recommendation for a review is seen as a continued move to restrict the industry to a craft-based labour relations model.

The Independent Contractors and Business Associations (ICBA) also can’t see the need for an inquiry into the construction labour sector.

“We do not think it is necessary,” said Chris Gardner, ICBA president and CEO, adding there is nothing different about the construction industry compared to other sectors that work with contractors, subcontractors and labour. “There is nothing unique that warrants looking at or that we need a new set of rules for.”

He said the construction industry is being challenged with large projects ranging from homes to infrastructure projects and what the construction sector needs to do is find ways to work more efficiently and faster to attain affordability.

“Having the government set up a bunch of committee members is not going to be very helpful,” he said.

Gardner’s members are open-shop and while he doesn’t endorse wall-to-wall, he sees it as providing another option.   

“There is no one-size-fits-all. Our preference is that the bidding process should be open and fair as a starting point,” he said, adding general contractors and owners should be free to discuss which model, whether it is union or open-shop, is best to bring in a project on time and at the best price.