February 2, 2012

National Building Trades support federal regulatory reform

OTTAWA

The Canadian Building Trades, which is affiliated with unions representing construction and manufacturing workers, announced Jan. 26 it is “encouraged” by remarks made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper about regulatory approval for construction projects.

“Mr. Harper clearly understands that projects like the Northern Gateway are vital to the ongoing success of Canada’s construction industry,” stated Robert Blakely, Director of Canadian Affairs for Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) of the American Federation of Labour-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), in a press release.

“Right now, this process is being subverted and needlessly delayed at the cost of Canadian jobs.”

Blakely was referring to Enbridge Inc.’s proposed 1,150-kilometre pipeline to the Pacific coast from Bruderheim, Alberta and associated terminal facilities in Kitimat, British Columbia. In December the Joint Review Panel for the Northern Gateway said it anticipated a final decision would be delayed until the end of 2013.

The BCTD press release Jan. 26 was reacting to remarks Harper made during a speech the same day at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

A report by Postmedia Network Inc. quoted Harper as stating the federal government plans to “take action to ensure (energy and mining) projects are not subject to unnecessary regulatory delays, that is, delay merely for the sake of delay.”

In November, BCDT announced its Canadian affiliate supported TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline, for which the company was denied a permit last week from U.S. President Barack Obama. TransCanada plans to submit a new application for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the Alberta oilsands to refineries in Texas.

“The regulatory approval process needs to be adjusted to today’s realities,” BCTD stated.

“Partisan attacks designed to do nothing more than undermine, valuable economic opportunities that create well-paying Canadian jobs take advantage of loopholes in the current regulatory system. The jobs being created are not the just the jobs on immediate construction; they are the permanent operations and maintenance jobs that last the lifetime of the project. These are jobs for 50 years not one or two pipeline seasons.”

The Canadian executive board of BCTD includes representatives from: the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting industry of the United States and Canada, International Union of Operating Engineers, Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association, International Association of Heat and Frost Allied Workers, International Union of Elevator Constructors, Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons’ International Association, Teamsters Canada, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Laborers’ International Union of North America, International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America; and International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.

DCN DIGITAL MEDIA

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