Union Voices Concerns Over Manitoba School Construction Contracts

As construction begins on four new schools in Manitoba, the union representing workers has raised significant concerns regarding the contract awarded to Penn-co Construction. This contract is one of the first implemented under the Manitoba Jobs Agreement, a policy designed to standardize terms for public capital projects exceeding $50 million.

Union Critique of Contract Terms

The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), which has represented Penn-co for the past 18 years, is voicing its dissatisfaction with the new contract’s stipulations. According to Geoff Dueck Thiessen, regional director of CLAC’s Winnipeg member centre, the contract overrides established terms of employment, limiting workers’ choices regarding union representation.

“Let the workers choose,” Thiessen stated, arguing that the contract’s preset wages, benefits, and apprentice usage restrict the flexibility that workers typically expect. The new agreement mandates compliance with standards set by local building trade unions, a move that CLAC argues undermines its independent status.

Introduced by the New Democratic Party in September 2023, the Manitoba Jobs Agreement aims to enhance wages and prioritize local employment. Premier Wab Kinew has promoted this framework as a means to ensure that jobs created under the policy benefit Manitobans. The Building Trade Bargaining Council is tasked with overseeing compliance within the agreement.

Concerns Over Union Membership and Fees

Thiessen expressed concern that the new structure forces workers into unions they did not select. Unlike local building trade unions, which require membership, CLAC operates under an “open shop” model, allowing workers to opt-in voluntarily. This distinction raises questions about the implications for workers on the school construction sites.

The Manitoba government has arranged a meeting with CLAC to address these issues, as Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu confirmed on Thursday. Thiessen noted uncertainty regarding whether CLAC will collect dues from Penn-co employees during the construction period, as laborers will already be contributing dues to their respective unions, such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Concerns have also been echoed by other groups, including the Merit Contractors Association of Manitoba, which criticized the new framework for potentially increasing project costs due to mandatory union fees. Tanya Palson, executive director of Manitoba Building Trades, clarified that while workers on job agreement sites will benefit from union-negotiated wages, they may not be union members themselves.

The Manitoba government has allocated $200 million for the construction of these schools, located in Devonshire Park and Prairie Pointe in Winnipeg, Meadowlands in West St. Paul, and southwest Brandon. The schools are expected to be completed by the fall of 2027.

As the construction progresses, the dialogue between CLAC and the Manitoba government will be crucial in shaping the future of labor relations within the province’s educational infrastructure projects.