Canada's Building Trades Unions

Canada's Building Trades Unions Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) is the national voice of over half a million Canadian construction workers.

06/11/2026

From conversation to commitment to action.

At our national conference, a fireside chat between CBTU’s Sean Strickland and Mokwateh LP’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://youtu.be/4T0tXAEjsPo

06/05/2026

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."

Today is World Environment Day. Across Canada, our members are leading the transition to greener construction by using i...
06/05/2026

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 .

Learn more here: https://www.buildingtrades.ca/en/building-it-green/

06/03/2026

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:

06/02/2026

At the end of April, CBTU shared a first look at its Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan at our national conference.

This video highlights why we undertook this work, what we heard, and how IRAP turns our commitments into 41 clear actions by 2029, focused on jobs, training, economic opportunity, and stronger relationships with Indigenous communities.

This is just the beginning of the work ahead.

Watch the full presentation⬇️

05/29/2026

It's been a busy week for Canada's Building Trades Unions' advocacy efforts!

Yesterday, in addition to appearing in front of the Senate Standing Committee on National Finance, CBTU's Executive Director Sean Strickland, appeared in front of the Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy regarding Bill c-20, the Build Canada Homes Act.

As he shared, "From the moment the Build Canada Homes initiative was announced, CBTU has supported its core objective of “collaborating with industry, other orders of government and Indigenous communities to build affordable housing at scale and speed”. However, as we have pointed out to the Government, Build Canada Homes should also seek to act as a catalyst for community benefits and fair labour practices."

Click the video to watch his full testimony.

CBTU’s Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan (IRAP) sets out a clear, national framework to advance Indigenous participa...
05/29/2026

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, herehttps://www.buildingtrades.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-2029-CBTU-IRAP.pdf

05/28/2026

CBTU's Executive Director Sean Strickland appeared today before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance to speak in support of Bill C‑30 and the Spring Economic Update.

In his remarks, he highlights a number of concrete wins for Canada's tradespeople, including the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction increase from $4,000 to $10,000 per year, indexed annually. CBTU has advocated for this since the deduction’s introduction in 2022, after a report commissioned by CBTU found the average temporary relocation cost for a construction worker was over $4,000, and costs of living have only risen since. This increase will help unlock members’ ability to travel where Canada’s infrastructure needs demand.

"There has been a lot of talk recently about the risks of a labour shortage. Our view is that Canada does not suffer from a significant, nationwide trades workers shortage. Rather, the shortages are episodic and regional in nature. Consequently, if we find a way to optimize the workforce that is presently available in Canada, the gap between the offer and the demand of workers will be significantly bridged. This is why we welcome the measures announced in the Spring Economic Update that put skilled trades workers at the centre of the federal government’s agenda."

Reconciliation requires action, and CBTU’s IRAP is designed to deliver progress.Our plan is grounded in 4 pillars:- Work...
05/28/2026

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.

05/28/2026

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://www.buildingtrades.ca/en/canadas-building-trades-unions-launch-indigenous-reconciliation-action-plan-to-advance-opportunity-partnership-and-accountability-across-the-skilled-trades/ and download the full IRAP report herehttps://www.buildingtrades.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-2029-CBTU-IRAP.pdf

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