CDN Building Trades

Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) is the national voice of over half a million Cdn construction workers. We go to work every day to build a better Canada.

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Canada's Building Trades Unions is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Building Trades Council's Richard Hayter.
Richard was a tireless champion of the unionized construction industry and a proud advocate for skilled tradespeople throughout Ottawa and the surrounding region. Over a long and distinguished career, he helped strengthen relationships across our industry, advance safer workplaces, and build lasting connections between the trades and the communities we serve.
Richard's charisma, boundless energy, warmth, and genuine kindness left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him. He had a remarkable ability to bring people together, make others feel valued, and move important conversations forward with professionalism, integrity, and good humour.
His contributions helped shape and strengthen the construction industry in Ottawa for generations of tradespeople. His legacy will live on through the relationships he built, the causes he championed, and the countless lives he touched.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Yvonne, his children and grandchildren, and all of his family, friends, and colleagues. Richard will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

From conversation to commitment to action.

At our national conference, a fireside chat between CBTU’s Sean Strickland and @mokwateh's JP Gladu explored what it will take to turn our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan into real, lasting impact: on jobsites, in communities, and across the entire construction industry.

The discussion covers implementation, barriers, leadership, and the growing importance of Indigenous participation in major projects, along with practical advice for unions ready to move this work forward.

Watch the full conversation ⬇️
https://t.co/uObDX4F1g7

#Reconciliation #BuildingTrades #UnionizedSkilledTrades

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Yesterday NDP House Leader Heather McPherson introduced Bill C‑259, with Canada’s Building Trades Unions' support.

This bill protects worker representation and their safety by stopping employer‑influenced organizations from masquerading as unions.

Read the full statement from Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, below.

"Canada's Building Trades Unions strongly support Bill C-259. Representation matters and Canada’s unionized skilled tradespeople deserve unions that promote the wellbeing of workers, not employers.

Serious harm is done to all unionized workers when we allow employer-influenced organizations to masquerade as worker representatives; wages fall, safety standards erode in favour of speed and cost, and workers lose their voice.

Bill C-259 protects the integrity of worker representation by strengthening safeguards against employer interference and ensuring workers have a clear path to challenge organizations that do not serve their interests. This is a simple principle: unions must be independent and driven by their accountability to the workers they represent.

We call on all Members of Parliament to support Bill C-259 and take a stand for fair representation, stronger protections for workers, and safer jobsites across Canada. No worker should have to choose between earning a living and making it home safely at the end of the day."

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Today is World Environment Day. Across Canada, our members are leading the transition to greener construction by using innovative technologies and retrofit solutions that improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Building smarter means protecting our communities, and we're proud to #BuildItGreen.
Learn more here: https://t.co/p9SYPYql4c
#WorldEnvironmentDay #BuildingTrades #UnionizedSkilledTrades

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Canada’s Building Trades Unions is proud to launch our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan (IRAP), a four-year roadmap featuring 41 measurable commitments to advance Indigenous participation, representation, learning, and economic reconciliation across the unionized construction industry.
As CBTU Director of Workforce Development Lindsay Amundsen shared with DCN's Don Wall: “We needed a more formalized process, something that we could hold ourselves accountable to, and measurable actions year in, year out, to make sure that what we’re doing is working.”
This plan reflects collaboration, consultation, and learning from our affiliates and our industry partners. CBTU's IRAP represents an important step forward in our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities and partnerships with Indigenous communities across Canada.
Read more: https://t.co/jgqz9L4eTw

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

CBTU’s Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan (IRAP) sets out a clear, national framework to advance Indigenous participation, leadership, and economic opportunity across the unionized construction sector.

Developed with support from Mokwateh and engagement across the CBTU network, the plan outlines 41 actionable commitments to be completed by 2029.

Through 4 pillars, our actions are focused on expanding access to training and careers, strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities, increasing participation in procurement and major projects, and embedding accountability within our governance.

Our IRAP provides practical tools, measurable goals, and a roadmap for affiliates and partners to take action.

Read the full report and explore the path forward. Download from our website, here:https://t.co/9kzNXwCzTj

#Reconciliation #BuildingTrades #UnionizedSkilledTrades

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Reconciliation requires action, and CBTU’s IRAP is designed to deliver progress.

Our plan is grounded in 4 pillars:
- Workforce Participation
- Learning & Engagement
- Economic Reconciliation
- Representation

Together, these pillars outline 41 actionable commitments to complete by 2029; from developing culturally relevant pre-employment programs and Indigenous procurement policies to establishing an Indigenous Advisory Committee and embedding reconciliation into CBTU governance structures, these pillars will guide our efforts forward.

This is how we move forward: with purpose, partnership, and accountability.

#Reconciliation #BuildingTrades #UnionizedSkilledTrades

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

CBTU has launched its Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan (IRAP), a national framework to advance Indigenous participation, leadership, and economic opportunity in the unionized construction sector.

Developed in partnership with Mokwateh, our IRAP sets clear commitments and practical pathways to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and expand access to skilled trades careers.

This work builds on CBTU’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92 by turning commitments into measurable action.

Read our full press release here https://t.co/E6r8SqkVjc and download the full IRAP report here https://t.co/9kzNXwCzTj
#Reconciliation #BuildingTrades #UnionizedSkilledTrades

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Canada’s Building Trades Unions welcome the Canada–Alberta Implementation Agreement, a jobs-first plan to build strong, affordable energy infrastructure that puts tradespeople to work and expands export markets.

As our Executive Director, Sean Strickland shared, “Now, we need project timelines and a seat at the table to understand labour supply and fulfil demand so employers can hire, train, and retain the next generation of tradespeople.”

Read CBTU's full statement, here: https://t.co/fOlga5PmtV

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

“Today’s announcement from Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, Julie Dabrusin, reinforces what CBTU has long-believed, bold investment in east–west energy transmission is essential to secure Canada’s energy future,” shared Sean Strickland Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions.
“The new National Electricity Strategy will more than double grid capacity by 2050, deliver long‑term certainty for our members, and put thousands of skilled Canadian tradespeople to work. This is a landmark commitment for the electricity sector, IBEW, and Canada’s Building Trades affiliates backed by federal funding that turns promises into real, good-paying unionized jobs and creates lasting economic and energy security for communities across the country.”

Read more from PMO, here: https://t.co/3CjqRYMD6R

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Thank you to Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu, for bringing Canada's Building Trades Unions' voice into Question Period and standing up for our members.

“Our members work hard, often far from home, to build Canada,” said Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “Today’s measures will be felt at kitchen tables across the country. This announcement demonstrates a strong commitment to helping Canada Building Trades meet the moment by investing in increased capacity for union training centres, significant increase in apprenticeship supports, and incentives to attract youth to the trades, and tax relief to encourages construction workers to go to where the work is."

Watch the full clip, below.

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

We're looking back at a powerful moment of unity from CBTU's 2026 Conference 🤝. Members of Canada’s Building Trades Unions greeted Prime Minister Mark Carney with a warm, spirited solidarity chant, electrifying the room with a thunderous, standing-ovation welcome.

Thank you, Prime Minister Carney, for standing with the Building Trades.

Watch the clip with sound on for full effect 🔊

#BuildingTrades #MajorProjects #BuildCanada #EnergyInfrastructure

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

We're still celebrating last week's historic Spring Economic Update and Prime Minister Mark Carney's address to our conference delegation.

Car­ney said his gov­ern­ment is launch­ing the pro­gram because “we need to expand, speed up and make more effect­ive our train­ing and appren­tice­ship pro­grams.”
“There are lots of issues right now. There are too few seats in those pro­grams today, the cer­ti­fic­a­tion path is long. It's tough to start, it's con­fus­ing to start,” he said, out­lining the pro­gram's aim to halve the time it takes trades­people to get cer­ti­fied across Canada.
“The steps are dis­con­nec­ted so people fall out through the way, too many employ­ers won't take a chance on a first-year appren­tice.”

Read more from the Toronto Star, here: https://t.co/jLhxl6Hg9Y

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Today we celebrate National Skilled Trades Day and the talented workers who build, maintain, and power our communities across Canada.

From apprentices to seasoned journeypersons, skilled tradespeople are the backbone of our economy and building the future of Canada's infrastructure.

Thank you for all you do, each and every day.

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

“We’ve never seen anything like that from any government in terms of support for skilled trades and skilled trades training in Canada.” shared CBTU's executive director, Sean Strickland.

“Our union halls are full of resumes and folks trying to get in, one of the challenges we have is … how do we retain them,” Strickland said.
The biggest portion of the funding, $3.4 billion over five years, is earmarked to provide apprentices with a weekly income top up of $400 while attending in-class training, along with a $5,000 bonus for getting certified in a Red Seal trade.

Read more from CBTU in the Canadian Press, here: https://t.co/GUHyQw9tUQ

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Canada’s Building Trades Unions congratulate the Honourable Louise Arbour on her appointment as Canada’s 31st Governor General. Her lifelong commitment to justice, accountability, and human rights reflects the values that working Canadians build every day on job sites across the country.

We also extend our sincere thanks to the Right Honourable Mary Simon for her historic service and enduring legacy.

On behalf of Canada’s unionized skilled trades, we welcome Ms. Arbour to this important role and wish her success in serving Canadians.

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Following last week's historic federal Spring Economic Update, CBTU's Executive Director, Sean Strickland, joined Karina Roman on CBC's Power & Politics to tout the benefits for Canada's skilled tradespeople.

This announcement was of "historic proportions, we're talking $6 Billion over 5 years [...] $16,000 over 4 years plus a $5,000 taxable completion bonus is a much heralded approach to apprenticeship training".

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Prime Minister Carney rounded out CBTU's Annual Conference with a simple message: Canada needs the Building Trades more than ever.

#CanadasFutureIsUnionMade

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

Champion fighter Georges St-Pierre stopped by to remind Building Trades leaders to get out of their comfort zones, stay hungry, build a reliable team, and always bet on themselves!

[CDN Building Trades @CDNTrades]

“In times of economic insecurity, the best thing we can do is seize on these infrastructure opportunities” - David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development