Quebec construction reform will 'kill the regions' and pose safety problems, says union

A new condo site under construction in Montreal, Friday, June 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

The CSD-Construction union, which represents 25,000 workers in the industry, is concerned about the reform that Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet wants to implement.

Its president accuses him of wanting to "kill off the regions," compromise worker safety and reduce the quality of training.

CSD-Construction President Carl Dufour criticized the minister for wanting to please employers' associations by relaxing the rules on worker mobility between regions, among other things.

At present, certain rules mean that a contractor who wins a contract in a region other than his own can take some of his regular workers with him, but he must also employ a certain number of workers who live in that region.

Dufour also criticized the government for wanting to reduce the number of hours of training for a number of trades, including carpentry, tinsmithing, site machinery operation and refrigeration.

"This could pose problems for the quality of training, in addition to posing risks for the health and safety of workers and the public," said Dufour.

The Labour Minister is currently holding consultations with industry players before tabling his reform this autumn.

In particular, he wants to ask workers in certain trades to perform more tasks than those normally assigned to them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 2, 2023.