The following Industry Voices Op-Ed is authored by Alan Fletcher, BCCA board chair, AFC Construction, VICA; Angela McKerlich, BCCA board vice-chair, Capri-CMW Insurance, SICA; Mike Fawcett, BCCA secretary treasurer, Brock White Construction Materials, NRCA; and Bob Cooke, BCCA board past-chair, Division 15 Mechanical, VRCA.
Premier John Horgan’s Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is the most dangerous and disruptive policy to be introduced by any government into our industry in recent memory.
Whether you are a union or an open-shop employer, your basic rights and freedoms as Canadians are being blatantly disregarded, as is government’s obligation for fair, open and transparent procurement practises.
The first projects — Pattullo Bridge and Highway 1 — are the canaries in the coal mine. Left unchallenged, this policy will likely hit many more public sector projects in this province.
This is a crucial time for construction organizations and businesses to come together with unified actions to stop this political pipe bomb from disrupting the productivity, resilience and competitive energy that drives our industry and our provincial economy.
Instead, select members of the construction community have chosen to focus on slandering partner associations. Divisive name-calling and personal attacks based on competitive agendas are disrespectful to our members, embarrassing to our industry and crippling to our collective ability to move forward.
Everyone with common sense and industry knowledge is well aware that throughout its 50-year history BCCA has always been, and always will be, a champion of fair, open and transparent procurement practises. BCCA represents the industry at large in a balanced manner. BCCA is not colluding with the government or anyone.
To state otherwise is a waste of everyone’s time. To call for abandonment of the association that has the most productive relationship with government in our industry is to risk consigning us all to a CBA policy that will undermine our businesses for years to come
Let’s get back to work. Together.
To comment or suggest an idea for a future Industry Voices Op-Ed, please email editor@journalofcommerce.com.
Well done BCCA Executive! We need to move forward together.