No repeal: Manitoba turns its construction industry focus to minimum-wage rates

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This article was published 08/01/2021 (1895 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government will not repeal the Construction Industry Wages Act, industry leaders have announced.

The act sets out the minimum hourly and overtime wage rates, and the standard hours of work per day, week or month in the heavy construction, and the industrial, commercial, institutional construction industry sectors.

It has been credited with attracting and retaining skilled trades and well-paying jobs in Manitoba.

In late December, industry representatives were invited to join Finance Minister Scott Fielding for a Jan. 7 Zoom meeting to discuss repealing the legislation, how much time the transition may take — and what steps might be warranted to “minimize disruption.”

After Thursday’s meeting, five major industry groups — Winnipeg Construction Association, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, Mechanical Contractors Association of Manitoba, Merit Contractors Association of Manitoba, and Construction Labour Relations Association of Manitoba — issued a joint news release.

“We had a good discussion with Minister Fielding, who confirmed that rather than repealing the (legislation), Manitoba will update the minimum-wage rates for the construction industry workforce,” said Ron Hambley, president of the Winnipeg Construction Association.

Prior to the meeting, trades, contractors, unions, opposition parties, and even Conservative party Sen. Don Plett questioned repealing the act. Plett told the Free Press last month it is not the time to “tinker” with it.

With federal investments in infrastructure projects expected to be a major part of Canada’s post-pandemic economic recovery, messing with construction industry wages wasn’t prudent, advocates said.

On Thursday, Fielding committed to establishing a panel to review the legislation “with broad worker-employer representation to update the construction industry minimum-wage rates,” the news release from industry said.

When asked to respond, the minister’s office issued a statement saying Fielding has personally reached out to several industry associations and labour groups over the past few weeks to explain the government’s intentions.

“The minimum-wage rates in the Construction Industry Wages Act are outdated and our government believes it’s time to address this. We are committed to fair wages for construction industry workers,” Fielding said in the statement.

“We are consulting valued industry and labour representatives to modernize the current act instead of repealing it.”

The last such minimum-wage adjustment was made in 2017.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca