To read our story on the employer associations and their reaction to the updated list of essential construction projects click here. Also, you can find the official list of essential work for the building sector by clicking here.
Ontario’s building trades are offering cautious support for the new condensed list of essential construction workplaces unveiled by Premier Doug Ford April 3 but several expect the list to be shortened if the province’s COVID-19 infection numbers get worse.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario reports seven cases within its member unions.
Stakeholders said they are monitoring official infection announcements closely. As evidence of how quickly the situation can change, Building Trades business manager Patrick Dillon noted, on March 31 when his council canvassed member trades asking about infection rates of workers on sites, the report came back that there were zero.
The night of April 3, Dillon got the bad news.
“That is a dramatic change,” said Dillon, noting that the figure did not count workers who had contracted COVID-19 elsewhere such as on cruises and did not include open-shop workers.
“We are trying to research this, is it that dramatic a change or was it poor reporting before.”
Both Ontario Construction Consortium executive director Phil Gillies and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario executive secretary treasurer James Barry said the new list did not reflect work that was absolutely critical to keeping the province running and thus there is room for more paring.
I think they did the right thing paring down the list, and I think they might have to pare it down significantly more,
— James Barry
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario
“Frankly it wouldn’t surprise me, if the situation gets worse with the pandemic, in coming weeks, to see the list revised again,” said Gillies.
“We were pleased to see the new residential construction sites shut down and I have spoken to the minister of labour and commended that to him. We continue to have concerns over existing projects continuing.
“We understand there are all sorts of financial implications and move-in dates for buyers and all of those things to be considered but our primary concern remains the health and safety of the workers. We are watching that situation carefully,” Gillies said.
Barry prefaced his remarks by saying that the premier was doing a good job in a fluid situation and that he supports following the advice of Ontario’s chief medical officer of health. But the safety of workers comes first.
“It is changing so quickly, every day,” he said. “I think they did the right thing paring down the list, and I think they might have to pare it down significantly more.
“Ultimately it is going to be up to workers themselves. I leave that 100 per cent up to the individual. A lot of employers are shutting down on their own, a lot of generals are shutting down on their own. Certain projects need to continue, but I am not certain all of them need to continue.”
Dillon also said he deferred tough decisions to the medical professionals. But, he remarked, “If they had questioned me on what was the most at risk, I am not a scientist, but based on past history, the residential sector might be more susceptible than the commercial sector. There is not science behind that but there is science behind what they did.”
Ontario’s jobsites are safer than they were several weeks ago, he said: “We don’t want to keep working unless there is enhanced protection.”
LIUNA vice-president Joe Mancinelli called the premier’s decision to shut down much of the industrial construction sector “difficult but prudent” in a statement.
“All projects will be held accountable to strict safety protocols,” Mancinelli said in the release. “This important decision is essential to flatten the curve and protect our communities. We know that many of you wanted to continue working…but as the surge of COVID-19 continues to rise at threatening levels, we cannot put your safety and that of your families at risk.”
Responding to questions via email, Andrew Regnerus, Ontario construction coordinator for the Christian Labour Association of Canada, wrote, “CLAC was pleased that ‘essential’ became more narrowly defined. We had been pressing for a more restrictive definition and a partial shutdown in order to ensure precautions against the spread of COVID-19 could be effective.”
Regnerus noted that uncertainty persists surrounding what is “essential” and what is “necessary infrastructure” and said the government needs to step in to provide clarity.
The hotline established by the Ministry of Labour has not been helpful, said CLAC.
“We hope that as inspectors make the rounds, they consistently advise what projects ought to continue as essential. We are aware that some owners and contractors are testing the limits of the statute; we hope that more clarity will come tomorrow from the premier’s office,” wrote Regnerus.
Follow the author on Twitter @DonWall_DCN.
The amazing thing is that it takes a pandemic to bring awareness of health and safety to any jobsite, the lack of care for workers has been happening for years,
the frontline workers get sick, injured and killed while the Big money machine boss has a safe and comfortable office, union or not the rule has been if you dont like the job Go home, there are others that will take the work, today or last year if you complain and report issues you are pretty well done with the contractor, you will be the last person recalled for work, yes we have rights and so doe’s the boss.