The local public school board is calling on the Ontario government to change its labour laws so the board can seek competitive construction bids from union and non-union contractors.
Currently the board, much like other public organizations, is restricted when it tenders projects. It can only accept bids from contractors who use Industrial, Commercial and Institutional certified unions like the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters.
School board chairwoman Helga Bailey sent the motion to Ontario Labour Minister Yasir Naqvi on Tuesday. The board’s motion called for changes to the Labour Relations Act to allow school boards to “tender construction work in a free and open competitive environment to maximize fairness and value.”
“Every time we build a new school or do any major repairs, even minor repairs, we have to use a certain kind of contractor,” said Penny Allen, the board’s superintendent of business. “It means there are less bidders. With less bidders it’s likely you pay more. The City of Hamilton has this problem. The City of Waterloo is about to have it and the Toronto school board has it.”
The school board has tried for years to get out from being tied down to ICI unions. It’s launched many appeals to the Labour Relations Board. In 2007 the school board was ordered to pay a plumbing contract to a plumbers union that was not used in the construction of the Lakeshore Discovery school. The ruling could have cost the school board $1 million. The school board appealed the ruling and won the appeal on a technicality, Allen said. Using non-union labour saved the school board $100,000 during construction.
MPP Michael Harris (PC — Kitchener) has sponsored a private member’s bill, The Fair and Open Tendering Act, that would open up bidding.
In a news release, Harris said there was significant support for his bill that will be debated in September. “All we need now is for the government to get on board with this important initiative,” he said.
