b'TRADES2019 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING EMPLOYERS AND UNIONS THRASH OUT THE DETAILS OF THEIR 2019 CONTRACTS By Warren HeeleyTHE PROVINCES 2019 collectiveprocess. Representing employers (in 21 ofearly May. Later that month, the plumbers bargaining process betweenthe 25 trade areas) was the Constructionand pipe fitters joined them, however construction unions and contractorEmployers Coordinating Council of Ontariotheir job action lasted only a couple of companies proceeded well, with 22 of(CECCO). The primary issues of concerndays before they returned to the table and the 25 ICI agreements either in place orwere wages, worker shortages and howfinalized an agreement. tentatively accepted at the time of writingcannabis could impact worker fitness in late June.on the job. Employers also raised theImpacting the negotiations has been controversial question of lengthening thethe fact that Ontarios construction The electrical trades were the first towork week from 36 to 40 hours.industry is booming, and both workers finalize their agreementsin February and employers are reaping the benefits and while things slowed down for aboutGiven that the contentious 36-hour weekof the high level of activity. The Ontario eight weeks after that, the pace picked uphad been worked out between workersConstruction Secretariat predicts the again in May. By late June, nearly 90 perand owners in the late 1960s and earlyboom will last for at least another three cent of the agreements were in place or1970s, it was an unusual issue to bringyears, based on BuildForce Canada close to completion. up again in 2019. Possibly, say some,statistics showing ICI construction activity it was pursued by employers based onin Ontario increasing at 3.8 per cent per All told, there are 14 constructionrecent changes to the Labour Relationsyear from 2019 to 2021.unions in Ontario and 25 separateAct under provincial Bill 47. The bill, called bargaining units in the ICI sector withinthe Making Ontario Open for BusinessIn addition to sorting out wages and these organizations, so its a complexAct, contains a number of changesother employment issues, Dillon says process. The provincial constructionto the 1995 Labour Relations Act,both workers and owners should work trade agreements last three years andincluding reducing certain union powerstogether on the language within their the 2016 agreements ended on Apriland broadening options for the Labouragreements to make union companies 30, which prompted the renegotiationRelations Board to deal with unfair labourmore competitive on ICI construction process. Key challenges included wagespractices. While there were concerns thatwork in the Ontario market on which and hours of work, but the bargainingthese changes would find their way intothey dont normally bid. He describes has generally not involved any majorthe construction collective bargainingthe current relationship between the changes in the agreements, says Patrickprocess in 2019, this has not been theunionized workers and employers in the Dillon, business manager of the Provincialcase, says Dillon.ICI construction sector as quite good and Building & Construction Trades Council ofsays this should be used to expand the Ontario (PBCTCO).The three trades that hadnt yet comereach of both parties. to agreement on their next contract at PBCTCO represents 12 unions in thepress-time were the sheet metal workers,All things considered, the success of construction sector and provided supportironworkers and painters. The sheetthe 2019 bargaining process is a good to workers and their bargaining units,metal workers were the first to take jobindication that the relationship between as well as liaison with contractors andaction based on the initial results of theworkers and owners in the province owners, throughout the bargainingbargaining process, going on strike incontinues to be a productive one.22Quarter 2 2019 BUILDERSDIGEST'