The B.C. government has released its master union agreement for the Pattullo Bridge replacement project, with an estimate that the lengthy provisions will add between four and seven per cent to the project cost.
The with a group of 19 international unions is a template for all major public construction under the B.C. NDP government includes strict provisions for local hiring, an average of 25 per cent apprentices on each job, and annual two per cent raises on specified wages by trade.
Transportation Minister Claire Trevena called the pay increases an 香蕉视频直播渋ndustry standard,香蕉视频直播� and said she香蕉视频直播檚 confident the Pattullo replacement can be done within the existing $1.377 billion budget. The government has also set up a new Crown corporation called B.C. Infrastructure Benefits Inc. to manage large road, bridge and other government projects.
香蕉视频直播淲e believe the benefits we香蕉视频直播檙e going to see in British Columbia outweigh any potential increase in costs,香蕉视频直播� Trevena said in an interview Thursday. 香蕉视频直播淲e have a desperate need for a skilled workforce, and this will help create that skilled workforce.香蕉视频直播�
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Along with rules for hiring of Indigenous people and other 香蕉视频直播渆quity seeking groups, one provision is for workers to come from 100 km of the project site. B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson said that香蕉视频直播檚 too restrictive.
香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e picking winners and losers about the Pattullo Bridge construction, and the winners are their union friends who live nearby in NDP-controlled districts,香蕉视频直播� Wilkinson said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd the losers are all of the rest of British Columbians who have to pay for this project.香蕉视频直播�
The Pattullo was the choice of Premier John Horgan as the next priority for Lower Mainland infrastructure after forming a minority government and cancelling work on a high-level replacement for the Massey tunnel. Horgan announced in March that B.C. would be returning to 香蕉视频直播減roject labour agreements香蕉视频直播� that restrict labour to union rates and membership after 30 days on the job.
The Pattullo, connecting North Surrey and New Westminster, is an aging four-lane bridge to be replaced by a four-lane bridge with bike lanes. Trevena said the bike lanes could be used to expand the crossing to six lanes if that is needed in the future.
