Canada's Building Trades Unions' Unanimously Pass Resolution to Harmonize National Safety Certification Standards for Canada's Skilled Tradespeople

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 7, 2026 /CNW/ - Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) joined by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario's Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, announce 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. This initiative marks a significant step toward national unity in certifications across Canada.

At a recent board meeting in Ottawa, CBTU's Canadian Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution underscoring the strong commitment of both the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, and CBTU and their affiliates.

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.

As CBTU endeavours to ensure our members can work on infrastructure projects from coast-to-coast, this resolution is a decisive step. It 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.

"The unanimous approval of this resolution reflects CBTU and our affiliates' unwavering dedication to our brothers and sisters working to build Canada," stated 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."

"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."

Media Contact: 
Jennifer White
JWhite@buildingtrades.ca

Communications Branch
mlitsdmedialine@ontario.ca

About Canada's Building Trades Unions
Canada's Building Trades Unions are an organization representing 14 international unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries that collectively represent 600,000 skilled trades workers in Canada who work in more than 60 different trades and occupations and generate six per cent of Canada's GDP. CBTU's mission is to advocate for public policy and work opportunities that benefit our members and improves the living and working conditions for construction workers across Canada. Learn more at www.buildingtrades.ca

SOURCE Canada's Building Trades Unions