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To the Editor,

Re: Building Trades want strong role in BC Infrastructure Act process

It’s like Ground Hog Day in B.C., where the same mistakes are repeated, over and over.

Major public projects across B.C., from the Pattullo Bridge replacement to construction of the new Cowichan District Hospital, are billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. Contributing to these delays and overages is a flawed provincial labour policy that restricts who can bid and work on many public projects.

Now the select unions that benefit from this restrictive policy want it applied to even more projects. They’ve asked for further restrictions on projects deemed of provincial significance under British Columbia’s Infrastructure Projects Act, Bill 15.

“We can provide valuable insight for projects to be successful under the Infrastructure Projects Act,” said the BC Building Trades.

In our view, success is not preventing 85 per cent of B.C.’s construction workers from building public projects because they do not belong to the “right” union. Success is not exacerbating the current labour shortage by significantly restricting the available pool of workers and contractors or driving up construction costs.

We have a very different idea of what success looks like. For starters, it’s giving all talented construction workers and contractors the chance to bid on and build projects that are critical to the B.C and Canadian economy. And its ensuring taxpayers get the best possible value when big projects are built.

The David Eby government has a choice. It can keep catering to select unions or take a genuine interest in doing what’s best for workers and families by allowing all qualified B.C. construction workers and companies to be part of the province’s economic rebuild.

Sincerely,
Dan Baxter
Regional director, B.C., for the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada