Monday, January 12, 2026
Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) and the Government of Ontario announced a collaborative effort to harmonize national safety standards for construction workers by adopting best practices and the highest standards to ensure work is performed safely.
At a recent board meeting in Ottawa, CBTU’s Canadian Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution.
Led by Minister Piccini, who was recently designated by provincial Premiers and labour ministers across the country to lead this critical national initiative, the resolution aims to support Canada’s construction workers by dismantling barriers that prevent them from easily moving between provinces to work on projects. This move addresses the challenge of varying health and safety certification standards across Canada, recognizing that interprovincial recertification costs time, money, and causes unnecessary delays to critical project progression.
“The unanimous approval of this resolution reflects CBTU and our affiliates’ unwavering dedication to our brothers and sisters working to build Canada,” said Sean Strickland, executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “To ensure our members can be where the work is, we must streamline safety certifications between provinces, to uphold the highest standard of safety, while creating opportunities that put our members to work. Harmonizing health and safety certifications across the country is critical to ensuring our workforce is appropriately trained to consistent safety standards, ready to deliver on nation-building projects safely and efficiently.”
According to the CBTU, the resolution streamlines certification processes and champions transformative policies, ensuring Canada’s unionized skilled tradespeople are job-ready, rigorously trained to consistent safety standards, and eligible to contribute to nation-building projects and propel our economy forward.
By breaking down existing safety certification barriers, CBTU and the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development envision an aligned workforce capable of fully participating in Canada’s infrastructure efforts, improving productivity and promoting the highest level of health and safety standards for workers across the country, fostering a truly national approach to skilled trades certification.
“By strengthening and working to align health and safety standards across Canada, we’re raising the bar and lowering the barriers that hold back growth,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Working with our partners nationwide, these efforts will create safer workplaces, support a more agile workforce, and help Ontario deliver the nation-building projects that drive long-term economic growth.”
Featured image: CBTU’s Canadian Executive Board joined by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini (CNW Group/Canada’s Building Trades Unions)
