Manitoba Heavy Construction Association

C M Y K A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 5 Earth Max Construction Inc. Phone: 204-344-5760 Fax: 204-480-1683 info@earthmax.ca www.earthmax.ca Stony Mountain, MB Site Development | Sub-divisions | Road Building Surface Water Management | Retention Ponds Wastewater Stabilization Pond Contruction & Maintenance Sewer and Water Services | Excavation Services Granular Supply | Custom Hauling A SOLID, EASY START TO PROTECTING WORKER, EMPLOYER RIGHTS I t is common now for newly (re)elected governments to make pledges to get busy. Oen, we hear about the "first 100 days" promise – what will get done within first 100 days of governments taking office. First, congratulations to the Pallister government on your re-election. And as you're settling in, we offer an easy pledge for the '100 day' list: protection of working Manitobans' right to choose to join a union, or not. is is called an open shop, and most Manitobans (73%) working in the construction industry choose to work in an open-shop or non- union setting. It's an easy check on the to-do list. So easy, in fact, there is a bill already written, waiting to be passed. e proposed Public Sector Construction Projects (Tendering) Act expressly set out the right of employers bidding on public construction tenders and their employees to choose whether they wanted to have union representation and pay union dues. In other words, there could be no compulsion to pay union dues in order to work on public projects. Your government supporting free will, free choice. Your government welcoming open and fair, unimpeded bidding on government contracts. Aside from respecting workers' rights, the protection of choice for employers and employees protects the most competitive environment, as well. is brings best value for taxpayers. Who would complain? e bill was proposed in 2018 but did not see a final vote this spring because, as permitted under the legislative assembly rules, the opposition set it aside as one of the bills it could delay to the fall sitting of the legislature. at delay meant it could not see a vote prior to the call of this year's provincial election. Party politics aside, the bill itself is sound. And it is sitting there on the shelf, waiting to be pulled down and tabled again in the legislature. is is not about eroding fair contracts. It simply reverses the overly restrictive conditions a previous administration applied to any firm hoping to bid on large public construction projects – such as the Floodway expansion and Hydro developments under project-labour agreements. Project-labour agreements can include beneficial terms and conditions employers must meet - agreeing to increased labour participation from local or Indigenous communities, for example. But insisting that anyone bidding or working on a public project be affiliated with a union or pay union dues is the antithesis of free will and it raises the cost to the taxpayer. Manitoba has strong labour-relations laws, employment codes and workplace safety and health legislation ensuring work environments are fair, respectful, healthy and safe. But to demand that union dues be paid for the right to access work is just wrong. It not only disrespects the choice of employees regarding unions, it assumes employers are working to deny benefits and pay commensurate with the market and job skills. Manitoba is not the only jurisdiction to have wrestled with forced unionization. Arising from Canadian experiences, it has been found that forcing workers to belong to unions increases the cost of projects by 12 to as much as 40 per cent. Open, competitive bidding is a cornerstone of the competitive environment that has been proven time and again to bring best value on a contract. It respects what the private sector does best – as the source of ingenuity and value for dollar. If it were otherwise, all governments at all levels would have dispensed with their reliance on the private sector to get the job done and choose, instead, to launch massive hiring sprees each construction season to put trades, labourers, engineers and project managers on the public payroll. No party has or would suggest such a policy or practice, for good reason. If sounder minds prevail on this point, then why force unionization through the back door of distorted labour-management agreements? e union influence in Manitoba is strong. It is understandable why the NDP, which reserves special power for unions in its party constitution, would want to make a public show of red-circling the proposed Public Sector Construction Projects (Tendering) Act for a rough ride through the legislature. But voters have spoken and the time is ripe for our provincial government to defend and enshrine workers' rights to free choice in their employment environment. Taxpayers deserve to see it done. is priority deserves to be on the 'first 100' days to-do list. Chris Lorenc is president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association Yvette Milner is president of Merit Contractors Association of Manitoba B Y Y V E T T E M I L N E R A N D C H R I S L O R E N C This is not about eroding fair contracts. It simply reverses the overly restrictive conditions a previous administration applied to any firm hoping to bid on large public construction projects – such as the Floodway expansion and Hydro developments under project-labour agreements.

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