Letter to the editor: Repealing an outright ban is 'fair and open' tendering

To the Editor:

The March 11 article ‘One Giant Step Backwards’ deserves comment from all stakeholders, not only those in opposition. The industry divide on the issue of project labour agreements (PLA) is as old as the agreements themselves. However, associations should exercise caution when throwing stones at a model with an ever-growing evidence-based rationale for its use.

While dutifully towing their message boxes, Chris Lorenc and Paul de Jong should be prepared to explain how having the only ban on workforce agreements in North America is either balanced legislation or creates opportunities for workers in our industry.

When ideology overrides reason, poor decisions are bound to happen. The previous government’s choice to eliminate PLAs was driven by a desire to harm unions, even if it meant hurting public infrastructure projects and Manitoba workers as a whole.

By abandoning PLAs, the PC party gave up crucial benefits such as cost certainty, equity hiring, workforce development programs and clear dispute resolution mechanisms on large projects. This move didn’t benefit Manitoban workers or taxpayers; it restricted public tendering and put local jobs at risk.

The rest of Canada – and countries around the globe – is successfully building their critical infrastructure on time, within budget and improving their local workforce.

For example, over $14 billion worth of infrastructure projects are currently being built in British Columbia under a PLA model. As a result, the B.C. government has ensured that 91per cent of workers on these projects are B.C. residents. Furthermore, while the industry participation of women and indigenous peoples is still less than five per cent in B.C., under the PLA projects, the hours worked by these underrepresented groups are nine per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.

PLAs are not only required on all U.S. federal infrastructure but have been used repeatedly in Ontario, Atlantic Canada and, most importantly, in Manitoba.

They were a keystone part of Manitoba’s construction industry for decades, and their ban made no sense given the value they had provided Manitoban workers.

Manitoba has a history of using PLAs on large infrastructure projects with public investment. For instance, in 2010, Manitoba’s East Side Road Authority launched a series of PLAs with First Nations communities and channelled more than $80 million into First Nation communities and job opportunities for Indigenous workers and Indigenous-owned companies.

The Wab Kinew government’s decision to repeal the ban on PLAs is an excellent move and it is irresponsible to frame it otherwise. This move will allow the government to choose, under appropriate project conditions, to implement benefits that other jurisdictions across Canada and North America have enjoyed.

Tanya Palson,
Executive Director, Manitoba Building Trades