Re: NDP鈥檚 construction rebuild showing some big cracks ().

Another week, another anti-worker rant from Tom Fletcher.

The intrepid legislative columnist for Black Press, Fletcher works tirelessly to deliver us biased news and views from Victoria. His last column was no exception.

I鈥檓 a journeyed insulator with B.C. Insulators Local 118, which is an affiliate of the B.C. Building Trades Council and the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. I鈥檓 also the elected vice-president of my local union and co-chair of the Building Trades鈥� women鈥檚 committee.

I spent five years working as a non-union apprentice insulator, acquiring thousands of hours on the tools, and not once was I sent back to school to advance my apprenticeship. It wasn鈥檛 until I joined Local 118 that I gained sponsorship as an apprentice and began working toward my Red Seal. During my classroom hours, my union provided a per diem of $25 a day to help with the bills.

Fletcher criticizes Building Trades affiliates as old-school with words like 鈥渂rotherhood鈥� in their legal names. Yet in the same breath he touts the alleged progressiveness of the Christian Labour Association of Canada.

He then goes on to buy the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association data on apprentices, devoid of any context. To be sure, B.C. Building Trades鈥� unions represent close to 50 per cent of industrial, commercial and institutional construction (ICI), and it鈥檚 these workers who will be building public infrastructure in B.C.

And while the non-union sector sends apprentices off to taxpayer-funded post-secondary institutions, union apprentices earn their credentials at ITA-designated training centres primarily funded by members鈥� money.

And where鈥檚 the data on apprenticeship completion rates? The Industry Training Authority reported an apprenticeship completion rate of 41 per cent in 2018/19. Unionized apprentices complete at higher than 80 per cent and some unionized trades are as high as 85 per cent.

And how about safety? Academic research on the ICI sector in Ontario between 2006 and 2012 revealed that unionized construction sites are 23 per cent safer than non-union construction sites. But don鈥檛 believe me 鈥� check out the that published it.

Fletcher also appears to tout the excellence of the non-union sector in their building of the Port Mann Bridge, glossing over any memory of the bridge ultimately costing $3.3 billion, which was 41 per cent higher than its original budget of $2.34 billion.

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Finally, Fletcher seems to pin the union camp agreements that determine food and beverage requirements on remote job sites on the governing New Democrats, when those exact agreements 鈥� right down to the type of salad dressing and size of place setting 鈥� were arrived at under the B.C. Liberals.

Here鈥檚 what I know as a tradeswoman in the Insulators Local 118:

My union fought for decades and finally helped achieve a Canadian ban on asbestos products earlier this year, ensuring construction workers are no longer exposed to the dangers of asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma.

My union has supported me throughout my career as I advanced my apprenticeship and became an advocate for tradeswomen and young workers.

My union encourages me to volunteer and give back to my community in a variety of ways.

My union dues fund services for members, including safety programs, training and apprenticeship and drug and alcohol counselling.

But what do I know? I鈥檓 just an actual tradesperson.

Ashley Duncan, vice-president, B.C. Insulators Local 118, Vancouver