:: rawblogXport ::

:: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 ::

Sparks fly over plans for foreign workers By Sarah O'Donnell and Gordon Jaremko, Edmonton Journal
The dispute over foreign versus domestic workers is also about wages and workplace rules -- as well as a jurisdictional fight between the unions that have traditionally provided the skilled labour to the oilsands industry and the Christian Labour Association of Canada, an alternative association that is increasingly moving into the building trades' turf.

The Building Trades Council represents 40,000 tradespeople, including electricians, carpenters, boilermakers and pipefitters, through 23 Alberta union locals. Collectively, its members are the largest private-sector provider of training in Alberta, second only to the provincial government.

The Christian Labour Association -- whose name refers to Christian principles of fairness and integrity valued by the western European immigrants who founded the group -- is one of the fastest-growing unions in North America, but also allows non-unionized workers onto its job sites. About 10,800 of its 30,000 Canadian members are in Alberta.

Unions affiliated with the Building Trades Council won't allow their members to work at Christian Labour Association sites, citing lower pay rates and poorer working conditions. Ledcor Construction, the company that recently won the right to hire 680 foreign workers, uses Christian Labour Association workers.

posted 12:52 AM :: reference link :: 0 comments ::

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