Tories try banning union requirements in public contracts

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This article was published 10/05/2018 (2710 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s Tory government has moved to ban tendering of public contracts that specify the bidder must employ either unionized or non-unionized workers.

On Thursday, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler told reporters the Public Sector Construction Projects (Tendering) Act will remove provisions in legislation that deter some non-unionized shops from bidding on government contracts.

Schuler said he would not disagree with anyone who characterizes the existing system of project labour agreements as “forced unionization.”

The NDP and the Manitoba Federation of Labour later countered, saying there’s no need for Schuler to change a system that’s been protecting all workers — union and non-union alike.

MFL president Kevin Rebeck said in an interview the current tendering system “is based not on how we’re willing to screw over workers,” and Schuler is making strictly an ideological decision.

Rebeck said under a project labour agreement — which would cover unionized and non-union companies and sub-contractors — non-unionized workers would receive the same benefits (and some additional training) as unionized workers, for which they would pay a fee but would not be required to join a union.

Non-union bidders have had to offer their workers fair wages, benefits, safety and working conditions comparable to those paid to union members, Rebeck previously said in defending the existing system.

Schuler said Thursday the framework kept some companies from bidding.

“We’re looking for the best bid, at the best price,” he said. “There were probably businesses that didn’t bid on it, because they were non-union shops. It shouldn’t matter to government whether you have a union, or an association, or neither.”

Schuler said the proposed bill won’t stop anyone from bidding and having a project labour agreement, nor will it stop unionized shops from bidding — government just can’t specify the company’s relationship with its employees.

The current system worked when large projects were built in remote parts of the province, but those areas are now far more accessible, and it was never intended for urban areas, the minister said.

New Democrat MLA Tom Lindsey said the current project labour agreements ensure everyone gets a fair wage, health and safety training, and the same benefits. It also helps avoid labour strife holding up a project.

“Nobody was ever forced to join a union,” Lindsey said. “Again, it’s going to be a race to the bottom” with the Tory government taking the lowest bid over the best bid.

With the NDP unlikely to allow speedy passage, the bill will not be heard until the fall session and will not become law until the end of November, at the earliest.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca