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Brothers and sisters:

As we enter this new year, it is important to reflect on where we have been, what challenges we have faced and what accomplishments we have made together. I am excited about our future and can say, with certainty, we are more prepared now than ever to face it head-on, with the best interests of our fellow brothers and sisters at the forefront.

While the last few years have had their share of trials, I am confident better days are ahead.

Amit Bose, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Railroad Administration, was confirmed Jan. 12 after a long wait. His ascension is one more step toward a common-sense regulation of freight rail crew size with safety, not profits, in mind. TD leadership looks ahead with great anticipation as we continue building the relationship we have established with him and the federal Department of Transportation.

I am also pleased to note that the Biden administration nominee for the vacant position on the National Mediation Board, Deidre Hamilton, was installed. This creates a 2-to-1 Democratic majority and a much more labor-friendly board than what we have had to deal with the last four years. This confirmation likely spurred NMB to work on the logjam of requested representation elections ignored by the previous administration. Our Organizing Department has six cases filed and reported that ballots are out on five. We are hopeful we’ll be able to welcome these properties into the SMART family soon.

I hear you loud and clear that better working conditions (removing bad attendance policies and getting better quality of life) are at the top of your list of things that need fixed as soon as possible.

Of course, NMB will play a key role as we, along with the other Coordinated Bargaining Coalition unions, announced in late January that national rail contract discussions had reached an impasse. They will select a mediator whom we hope will move negotiations past the past two years’ worth of insulting offers that the carriers have presented and into a truly constructive and realistic phase. Our members deserve nothing less after moving America’s freight during this pandemic. I hear you loud and clear that better working conditions (removing bad attendance policies and getting better quality of life) are at the top of your list of things that need fixed as soon as possible. That is why we challenged BNSF’s draconian and punitive Hi Viz attendance policy. We will stand up to mistreatment of our members, especially when carriers continue to crow about record profits.

The last couple of years have seen membership numbers drastically decline, but I am thrilled to announce we have a new local, 1706, opening up in the Kansas City area for approximately 200 new members working for Student Transportation of America. Vice President Calvin Studivant has been working closely with these new members and has completed their first fully ratified agreement. Congratulations to our new bus members, and welcome!

I have been fortunate to be invited and to attend a number of union meetings, Labor Day events and holiday cookouts recently. This allowed me the opportunity to openly talk with the membership and update them on the state of our UNION. I am looking forward to many more of these face-to-face meetings in 2022. I hear you loud and clear that better working conditions (removing bad attendance policies and getting better quality of life) are at the top of your list of things that need fixed as soon as possible.

It has been frustrating that we have not had our normal annual regional meetings the last two years, but I must say that I am proud of a number of our state legislative directors and general chairpersons who stepped up and took matters into their own hands. They organized “Regional Training Seminars” that consist of a variety of training and classes for local officers. I was honored to be asked to address the groups and spend time with those in attendance. SMART-TD provided a number of the facilitators and additional support and that, along with the hard work of the aforementioned SLDs and GCs, made all of them huge successes.

These have been so impactful that we are planning on additional seminars to be scheduled next year. If this is something you have an interest in attending, please let your SLD or GC know. I look forward to seeing more of you in the coming year at these meetings!

“Solidarity” is a word we throw around a lot, but it is always an adrenaline rush when you see it in action. I was excited to be invited and participate in a huge rally in Chicago in November to assist the Metra Passenger Rail Coalition. All Metra crafts were fighting for a good contract after being faced with what seemed to be never-ending mediation. VP Jamie Modesitt, Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity and I didn’t need to be asked twice by GC Chip Waugh if we wanted in. The big blow-up rat and bullhorns blaring with the Chicago PD out to keep the crowd under control was exhilarating to say the least. We had local and state legislators and U.S. Reps. Chuy Garcia and Marie Newman show up to lend their support. It was yet another example of what organized labor can accomplish — together!

Your union also is continuing to get things done. We added many more features to the SMART app, making it more of a vital resource and advancing our technological presence. We’ve been able to adapt to a new way of leadership training with regional training seminars and coming soon our virtual educational efforts with SMART University. We are also developing a new website that will be more interactive, to name but a few.

There’s a lot going on and a lot more to come. I am excited and proud to be on this journey with you.

In closing, I ask that you do everything in your power to keep yourself and your fellow sisters and brothers safe on the job. Safety is a gift we give our families each and every day.

Please stay safe and God bless!

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division


On October 1, 2021 the torch was passed as SMART Eighth General Vice President James Paquette retired and Brother Jack Wall was elected as a vice president to the SMART General Executive Council.  Brother Wall began his career with Local 56 (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) 35 years ago. He started as the recording secretary and served in that position from 1990 through 2005, when he left that office to become business manager, a position he holds to this day.  Along the way, he has sat on the board of the Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council from 2006 to the present. He has been on the executive board of the Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers and Roofers since 2008 and last year became council president.

He has also served as a member on the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Committee for the last 16 years, became the president of the Cape Breton Building Trades Unions in 2012 and has sat as a trustee to the Local Union & Council Pension Fund since 2018. He is a sitting member of the Nova Scotia Labour Board and has been listening to hearings since 2019.

James Paquette

Brother James Paquette, a second-generation sheet metal worker, started in the trade working as an apprentice shortly after his high school graduation in 1978.  Completing a four-year apprenticeship in 1982, he worked in most trade areas, from shop fabrication to the installation of all types of HVAC products, as well as siding and roof decking, and served as a job site steward for several large industrial projects sites, including job site foreman. An avid motorcycle enthusiast, he purchased his first Harley-Davidson motorcycle just out of high school, before he started working in the trade. He has ridden all along the West Coast of the continent, stretching from the Alaska border to as far south as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He attended the Sturgis Rally three times over the years, after making four attempts. He continues to enjoy riding motorcycles whenever he has the opportunity.

Following the successful completion of the Labour Management Studies program at the British Columbia Institute of Technologies, Brother Paquette was elected to hold local union office as a business representative in 1997 and attended the new business agents class held that year at the National Labor College. He was re-elected as a business representative and in 2003 was nominated and elected to serve his local union membership as the business manager/financial secretary treasurer and has been consistently re-elected afterwards.

In addition to his duties as business manager/financial secretary treasurer for his home local, he was president of both the Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers and the Western Canadian Conference of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers and also served the British Columbia & Yukon Territory Building Construction Trades Council as financial secretary treasurer. He also served as co-chair of the British Columbia Jurisdictional Assignment Plan of the Construction Industry.

Michael Wilson is a new SM Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) member working at the new San Marcos Medical Center in San Marcos, Calif. He recently shared how much he is enjoying his new career and learning every day from his journeyperson, Troy Lewis, who has been a union sheet metal worker and mentor to many for over 20 years. They are both proud to have each other’s back, as well as the back of every SMART member they work with in the future.

SMART SM Local 219 (Rockford, Ill.) Journeyperson Mike Cassidy is taking time every day to pass on his 29 years of experience to fourth-year Apprentice Sandy Peters.

Sandy Peters, left, and Mike Cassidy.

SMART’s “I Got Your Back” campaign aims to promote solidarity and a safe haven among all members of our union. The campaign is focused on promoting awareness of work environment discrimination, bullying, hazing and harassment.

Do you have that special mentor who had your back? Now is the time to let them know how their support impacted you and recognize them for their solidarity.

Share an “I Got Your Back” sticker with them to show that they and YOU will have all members’ backs.

It lets a member who is in need of an ally have a safe place to turn.

Send your story about those who mentored you to mentors@smart-union.org or share on social media with the hashtag #SMARTIGOTYOURBACK.

This is a critical moment in the movement for equality, equity and justice in both of our countries, and SMART has taken steps to lead the way. When we welcome and support members from communities that are currently underrepresented in our membership, our union only becomes stronger.

The Recruitment and Retention Council was formed to create an action plan for locals to recruit, retain and include diverse groups in our organization. The council also looks to champion workplace equality within our industries and to promote respect, inclusion and safe, non-hostile work environments at all levels within SMART.

The council aims to facilitate members coming together as one organization, have these necessary conversations and collectively work on these important issues. The first meeting, featuring attendees from dozens of locals across North America, looked to introduce members to each other, with SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. joining leaders from across the union in kicking off proceedings by addressing its immediate goals. The council is working to create an action plan for locals to recruit, retain and include diverse groups within the organization, while ensuring these new members feel welcome. In meeting this goal, the council aims to ensure workplace equality by promoting respect, inclusion and safe, nonhostile work environments at all levels within SMART.

Louise Medina, a SM Local 265 (DuPage County, Ill.) member who chairs the council, remarked that, “this meeting was only a first step in a long road ahead. I look forward to taking a look at how we recruit and how we will help shape the future for our union brothers and sisters.”

President Joe Biden signed on Nov. 15 the Infra­structure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that will expand work opportunities for Union sheet metal workers rebuilding America’s schools and public buildings as well as boost U.S. passenger rail service, lead to improved safety measures for bus and transit operators and adjust how freight rail safety is han­dled by the Federal Railroad Administration.

The bill provides $1.2 tril­lion in funding for infrastruc­ture, with a large proportion of the funding going directly to the industries SMART represents. This bill=union jobs for SMART members.

“Our union was proud to stand with President Biden today to sign this historic bill into law. It will create an unprecedented number of good, union jobs and put SMART sheet metal workers to work improving indoor air quality in our schools and in commercial and residential buildings. It also makes long-overdue railroad safety improve­ments and will help school districts across the country buy clean, American-made, zero-emission buses that will drive demand for the prod­ucts and services provided by SMART members,” union leadership stated after the bill’s signing, which was attended by SMART General President Joseph Sellers as well as five members from across the mid-Atlantic who were invited to the ceremony.  These included  SMART TD D.C. Legislative Director Jarad Jackson of Local 1933 (Washington, D.C.), SMART TD Local 610 (Balti­more, Md.) Chairperson Michael Harbin, Kalima Ramsay from SM Local 100 (Washington, DC), along with fellow Local 100 members Mike Moran and Rolando Javier Montoya Garzona.

President Biden made one of his principal promises the pledge to rebuild America’s infrastructure after years of neglect. This legislation proves his Administration is delivering on this promise. However, this is only the start.

Now we’re working with his administration to implement the bill. Every SMART local must work at the local and state level to help with implementation of the bill to secure the work and make sure funding from the bill results in jobs for SMART members.

And there is the potential for even more union jobs. Another $1.75 infrastructure bill is pending that would deliver thousands of additional jobs. It’s now up to all of us to do our part to make sure Congress acts and passes this second bill quickly. America should have world-class infrastructure built by skilled union workers and it must be done quickly so the nation can catch up to its competitors on the global stage and once again set the precedent other nations follow. Text the word PASS to 67336 to let your Senators know the importance of investing in America’s workers by addressing the nation’s infrastructure. (message and data rates may apply).

Important Highlights of This Historic Infra­structure Investment and Jobs Act and How It Impacts SMART Members are Listed Below:

  • Energy Efficiency & HVAC upgrades:
    • $250 million to be used for energy efficiency revolving loan fund, which can be spent on indoor air quality in commercial and residential buildings.
    • $50 million for an energy efficiency pilot program for non-profit buildings to conduct energy efficiency upgrades, including HVAC systems.
    • $500 million for school energy efficiency that can be used to upgrade ventilation.
    • $40 million for an energy audit training program to train individuals to conduct energy audits or surveys of commercial and residential buildings.
    • $250 million in grants for federal buildings to improve energy performance targets.
  • Electric school buses:
    • $5 billion for the replacement of existing school buses with zero emission and clean school buses
  • Registered apprenticeship/workforce development:
    • $10 million for career skills training programs where students concurrently receive classroom instruction and on the-job training for the purpose of obtaining an industry related certification to install energy efficient buildings technologies.
    • $15 million for a pilot program to restore, retrofit and construct eligible transportation facilities. The grants should employ residents impacted by the project through targeted hiring programs, in partnership with registered apprenticeship programs and contract and subcontract with disadvantaged business enterprises.
    • Requires at least 5% of grants for buses and bus facilities is used for workforce development, including registered apprenticeship programs.
    • $550 million for industrial research and assessment to maximize energy efficiency. Registered apprenticeship programs qualify to receive the funding.
  • Transportation funding:
    • $6B for Northeast Corridor Grants
    • $16B for the National Network
    • $36B for Fed-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, with $24B set aside for the Northeast Corridor
    • $5B for CRISI
    • $3B for Railroad Crossing Elimination Program
    • $50M for Restoration and Enhancement
  • Amtrak Reforms:
    • Amtrak Mission Statement, Sec 22201: Amtrak’s mission is modified to better reflect the primary goal of providing quality service, including eliminating references to “justifying expending public money.”
    • Amtrak Food and Beverage, Sec, 22208: Eliminates harmful language on food and beverage revenues that stunted growth of Amtrak on board options and sought to ultimately reduce or eliminate on board service and creates a new food and beverage working group that includes labor participation.
    • Amtrak Quality Jobs, Sec 2213: Prohibits contracting out of work if employees who can perform that work are currently furloughed.
    • Station Agents, Sec. 22203: Requires Amtrak to staff station agent positions at stations that receive certain levels of traffic.
    • Critical Incident Stress Plans, 22424: Amtrak and commuter rail employees who are victims of assault must now be covered by critical incident stress plans, and the benefits and protections provided by such plans.
    • Long Distance Trains, Sec. 22210: Increases the difficulty for Congress to eliminate a long-distance route.
  • Rail Safety:
    • Train Length, Sec. 22422: Requires a National Academies study on the safety of trains longer than 7,500 feet.
    • FRA Reporting Requirements, Sec. 22421: requires FRA accident reports to include information on train length and number of cars as well as the size of the crew on board. Additionally, increases transparency for regulatory waiver requests, including requested suspensions of rules.
    • FRA Accident and Incident Investigations, Sec. 22417: DOT must create a process to better involve stakeholders, including rail labor representatives, in its investigations.
    • PTC Failures, Sec. 22414: requires a quarterly report on failures and functions of positive train control technology. This includes cutouts, malfunctions, and enforcements where an accident was actually prevented.
  • Buy America Provisions:
    • Limit federal financial grants to infrastructure projects that only use iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials that are produced in the U.S.
    • Direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish a Made in America Office that President Biden established with an executive order in January.
    • Require the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, and the Director of OMB to assess impacts of all U.S. free trade agreements, World Trade Organization Agreements on Government Procurement, and federal permitting processes on the operation of Buy American laws and include their impacts on the implementation of domestic procurement preferences within 150 days.
    • Require the OMB Director along with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council, to issue guidance to standardize how federal agencies comply with and enforce the Buy American Act within one year.
    • Include a Sense of Congress that the FAR Council should increase the domestic content requirements for domestic end products and domestic construction material to 75%, or in the event of no qualifying offers, 60%. President Biden issued an executive order that aligns with this provision in January. In addition, there was a notice of proposed rulemaking in July, to gradually raise the domestic content threshold from 55 to 75% over five years.
    • Establish a centralized online hub (BuyAmerican.gov) that would contain information on all waivers and exceptions to Buy American laws that have been accepted, requested, or granted to increase the transparency of the waiver process.
    • Make the Buy America requirement permanent for Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF), a program that provides loans and grants to fund water infrastructure improvements. $23.4B for DWSRF is provided in the bill overall.

On November 20, SMART women from across Canada and the United States along with supporters and allies held the second annual Virtual SMART Women’s Caucus.  This year’s keynote speaker was Liz Shuler who drew upon her experiences rising up through the ranks of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to AFL-CIO President.  She shared the experiences and challenges she overcome during her journey and urged her fellow sisters to continue to establish themselves within their union and participate whenever possible.

SMART Assistant to the General President Donna Silverman outlined the I Got Your Back campaign for participants and its role in building solidarity and mentorship throughout the union. Participants then broke up into smaller caucuses and discussed issues facing union sheet metal workers and in particular women employed in SMART’s industries.  The discussion focused on on the paths they followed to get into the trade as well as the mentors they were able to find along the way.

Participants also learned about what the Union is doing to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the sheet metal trade in conjunction with our partners at SMACNA.  Union leaders on the call, including General President Sellers and General Secretary Treasurer Powell solicited feedback from attendees on how the union can better represent woman and minority members and ensure all members feel included within the union.

Effective January 1, 2022, SASMI will offer two new COVID-related benefits: a Vaccination Benefit and an Interference with Work Benefit

Vaccination Benefit

To encourage all participants to receive a vaccination to protect against COVID-19, members ($200) and their covered eligible dependents (spouse and/or children $100) may be eligible for a vaccination benefit.

Interference with Work Benefit

If a member became ill and could not work due to significant side effects from a first, second and/or booster vaccination for COVID-19, he or she may be eligible to receive a benefit. Up to 24 hours of wages at his or her home local union wage rate per vaccination.

How to Apply for Both Benefits:

If eligible, members need to complete the application on the member portal via SASMI’s website. A separate application will be required for each benefit. A separate application is required for each of the member’s dependents. Each application must include a copy of his or her individual vaccination card (front and back), manufacturer information, vaccine lot number and a vaccination card ID (number on the back right corner of the card).

Finally, members will need to consent that SASMI can verify their status with the CDC and that SASMI can verify dependent eligibility with their local health fund (Vaccination Benefit ONLY). Receipt of the Vaccination Benefit does not limit a participant’s eligibility for other active benefits under the plan and is not considered when calculating severance or HCRA benefits. However, the Interference with Work Benefit will be included when calculating severance or HCRA benefits as well as the 200% rule.

From left: SMART Transportation Division Minnesota State Legislative Director Nick Katich, Michigan SLD Don Roach, Amtrak employee Stefan Schweitzer, then-FRA Deputy Administrator Amit Bose, TD Local State Legislative Director L68 (Chicago, Ill.) member Keisha Hamb-Grover and Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy stand at Chicago’s Union Station on Oct. 13.

Amit Bose, who has been serving the Biden administration as acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) since February 2021, was confirmed Jan. 12 by the U.S. Senate to become full administrator. This was a bipartisan vote, 68–29.

Bose’s nomination by President Joe Biden had been put on hold by Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida after it had cleared the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Oct. 20, 2021.

“We are pleased and excited to continue our collaboration with Administrator Bose and the FRA as we press ahead on important safety issues such as regulating freight crew size,” SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson said. “Our National Legislative Department and other members of our legislative team have had numerous conversations with Administrator Bose while serving in an acting capacity. We look to build upon the positive relationship that’s been established and on the progress that has been made already, and we congratulate him on his overdue confirmation.”

“We’ve had productive dialogue from the start with Administrator Bose — rail safety is back on the table.”

– SMART TD National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes

During his tenure, Bose already has shown that rail labor’s input will be sought, rather than disregarded by the FRA. Under the Biden administration, the FRA has publicly announced that it plans to reopen the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the regulation of a minimum freight crew size.

Amit Bose

Bose was a guest during the October call of SMART TD state legislative directors and made it clear that the agency will prioritize cooperative efforts between labor and the federal government, such as the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), the newly rechartered Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) and Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen group.

“The lines of communication between labor and FRA have been open ever since his nomination,” National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes said. “We’ve had productive dialogue from the start with Administrator Bose — rail safety is back on the table.”

Bose has years of experience serving in the public sector. He has served two stints as FRA deputy administrator and has served as FRA chief counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) associate general counsel and USDOT deputy assistant secretary for governmental affairs, including with former Federal Railroad Administrator and SMART TD Illinois State Legislative Director Joe Szabo of Local 1290 (Chicago).

In addition to living along the Northeast Corridor in West Windsor, N.J., and working for New Jersey Transit, Bose helped establish and later served on the Northeast Corridor Commission. He also participated in structuring the commission’s cost allocation policy, helped the USDOT deliver a $2.5 billion Railroad Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Financing (RRIF) loan to Amtrak for its next generation of Acela rail cars, and worked on the environmental review of a number of projects.

Fred Creager, a 41-year member from SM Local 17 in Boston enjoying the New England outdoor life. According to Creager, “I am having a great time enjoying retirement and the fall run at the cape cod canal.
SMART TD Local 446 member Jeff Hicks with a whitetail he bagged in Wyoming.

Don Tannucilli, a member from SMART TD Local 60, caught this 4lb 13oz small mouth bass on Lake Ontario in New York on October 10, 2021.

As I reflect upon the end of 2021, I would be remiss to not mention how appreciative I am of each SMART member’s dedication and perseverance during a continued uphill battle with COVID-19. Over the last 22 months of this pandemic, our members have stood on the frontlines, building hospitals, infrastructure and transportation projects. We have seen job site conditions improve with more inspections, and we must not go backwards. As I write this article, the Omicron variant is spreading faster than the previous strains. We must remain vigilant, continue to social distance, wear our masks and, when eligible, sign up and receive our booster shots

I am encouraged by the progress Canada is making to improve working conditions for all Canadians. Some of the potential changes that have been implemented or may be introduced in the future are as follows:

Worker Mobility Tax Credit

Skilled trades workers have always had to travel for work — that’s why we’re called journeypeople. But sometimes mobility creates a barrier for workers to go to where the work is. We need government support to address the longstanding issue of financial barriers to labour mobility through the implementation of a tax deduction for skilled trades workers for travel-related expenses when not covered by their employer.

Today, salespeople, professionals and Canadians in other industries can receive a tax deduction for the cost of their travel, meals and accommodations when traveling for work. The same option is denied to skilled trades workers who work on job sites that are in different regions or provinces from their primary residence.

The Income Tax Act, in its current form, is an inequitable tax policy. Today, salespeople, professionals and Canadians in other industries can receive a tax deduction for the cost of their travel, meals and accommodations when traveling for work. The same option is denied to skilled trades workers who work on job sites that are in different regions or provinces from their primary residence. For example, someone selling rebar or conduit for the construction of a new building can travel and deduct from income the cost of their travel, meals and accommodations, while the same option is unjustly denied to skilled workers who work hard to construct the buildings. Skilled trades workers should not be punished financially due to their choice of occupation. The government of Canada has a responsibility to ensure a system of tax fairness is in place for all Canadians.

While some project budgets allow for workers’ travel costs to be paid for, many do not. Instead, they require workers to pay out of pocket, often costing them thousands of dollars. With families to support, temporary relocation costs can prove too burdensome for workers, contributing to increased reliance on programs like Employment Insurance (EI) and exacerbating labour shortages in certain regions.

Depending on private and public investments, at different times certain regions will have more employment opportunities than others. These conditions lead to a necessity for skilled trades workers to temporarily relocate or travel long distances for projects to meet the needs of the market. As projects are completed, workers will then return to their permanent residence. For example, as work winds down on several major projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, such as the Muskrat Falls project, workers in Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) will have to travel outside of the province for work. While these workers will help meet labour shortages in regions such as Ontario and British Columbia, it means that they will likely incur out-ofpocket expenses as they temporarily relocate for work. These costs can add up and pose a burden for workers who are trying to support their family back home.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Canada is supporting more Canadians than ever before through EI and programs like the Canada Recovery Benefit. If implemented, a skilled workforce mobility tax deduction would result in savings for both the government and for skilled trades workers. By allowing skilled trades workers to deduct travel costs associated with work from their income, they won’t need to utilize programs like EI, and they will contribute to the Canadian economy through tax revenue from their employment.

As 2022 gets underway, the CBTU continue to strongly advocate for the inclusion of a skilled trades workforce mobility tax deduction in the 2022 budget. We’re proud of the work done on this issue including — a CBTU first — being included in mandate letters from both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan. While we celebrate this victory, the battle is not yet won. We need to work together to ensure this is contained in Budget 2022. Visit https://buildingtrades.ca/advocacy/labour-mobility for more information, to send a letter and to stay tuned for updates.

Business Manager/FST Gerard Murphy and President Barry Simon of Local 512, Federal Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan and Director of Canadian Affairs Chris Paswisty attending the Newfoundland & Labrador Building Trades Convention

National Child Care Program

In Budget 2021, the Canadian government unveiled its Early Learning and Child Care Plan, committing $30 billion over the next five years and $8.3 billion ongoing. The government is committed to working with provinces and territories to build a Canada-wide, community-based system of quality child care. This news was welcomed by CBTU, as child care has been a long-standing issue for families employed in the construction sector across Canada. To ensure the development of an accessible child care program that supports Canada’s skilled trades workforce, CBTU conducted focus groups in fall 2021 with parents who work in the unionized construction sector and their spouses. The focus groups were aimed at gathering information on their experiences and realities of working in the construction industry and managing child care.

In developing child care programs, Canada’s Building Trades Unions are calling for provincial governments to incorporate the following recommendations to ensure equitable access to child care for all families, including those who work outside normal work hours. Tradespeople and their families need:

  1. Early and late hours of care— To accommodate the nature of construction jobs that often consist of early start times and late pickups, we require earlier drop-off and later pickup hours given our workers usually do not work the standard 9–5 schedule of parents in other industries.
  2. Shorter waitlists — Like workers in other industries, skilled trades people have struggled with being on long waitlists for child care. Parents need to be able to enroll their children promptly, especially when unexpected job opportunities arise or when workers are required to travel to a new location for work. It is undeniable that additional child care spaces are needed.
  3. Flexible child care options — Many child care centers require enrollment commitments over long periods, forcing families to pay for a child care spot whether they are there or not. In the construction industry, work is cyclical and can be weather-dependent, shifts vary from job site to job site, shifts are often long and there can be periods when no work is available locally. It is often not feasible for skilled trades workers to sign a long-term commitment for a child care spot. Having the flexibility to make choices that are best suited to each individual family’s needs and requirements was deemed very important to members who participated in the focus groups.
  4. Quality drop-in child care arrangements — Quality of child care — whether short- or long-term — is of utmost importance to families. Parents need to feel comfortable where they leave their children.
  5. Raise the age limit — The age limit for the child care program needs to be raised. Many of the agreements with the provinces specify that they plan to provide children under five or six years old with $10-per-day child care, but parents also require child care for children under 12 (or the age that corresponds with provincial guidelines for children staying home alone) before and after school to accommodate their work schedules and the nature of shift work in the construction industry.

We have been building momentum as we strive for a better Canada and a brighter future. Please continue to stay active, get involved and stay safe!

In solidarity

I remain, fraternally yours,

Chris Paswisty
Director of Canadian Affairs