International Union Of Bricklayers & Allied CraftWorkers Local 1 - Regina

Bill 80 Information

After more than one hundred years with the right to belong to the BAC, Saskatchewan Bricklayers may soon be forced to choose between the Union they freely joined or accept representation from corporate friendly unions like CEP and CLAC who don't know your BAC Crafts or understand your BAC issues.

Anti worker legislation in the 80's, caused wholesale dips in wages* and benefits and numerous construction work stoppages. In the 90's a new government passed legislation to stabilize the construction industry called the Construction Industry Labour Relations Act, 1992 (CILRA). Since then, there have been no work stoppages by lockout or strike.

The Brad Wall government intends to throw away 17 years of labour peace in the unionized construction industry by imposing misguided changes to this successful legislation. This government's ''Bill 80'' amends CILRA to allow wide scale raiding of construction unions by predatory employers' unions, AND encourages maintenance work to go to out of province companies.

During the eighties the government made it possible for contractors to start up non-union companies in order to compete in a supposedly difficult economy. During this time wages dropped while employers actually charged more for the same work.

The Sask Party government released a Backgrounder to justify the proposed changes to CILRA which clearly attempts to misdirect the reader from the real reasons for making the changes.

On June 18th BAC Local 1 President Clarence Medernach and International Representative Graeme Aitken attended the Human Services Committee hearings in Regina to make our submission to oppose Bill 80.

Both men made it clear that the proposed legislation will not create greater choice for workers or employers, and that current legislation already allows for the inclusion of alternative unions and employer organizations.

BAC members are being encouraged to review the submissions of their local union by clicking on the links at the end of this article and register their opposition via postal mail, email, telephone or in-person with their MLA. Contact your union for sample letters to personalize and send to your MLA.

Click here for Bill 80 Submission to Human Services Committee