Statement by Canada’s Building Trades Unions on Blockades

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Statement by Canada’s Building Trades Unions on Blockades

February 11, 2022

See original statement from CBTU here.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions Executive Director, Sean Strickland, has released the following statement regarding the ongoing protests and blockades: 

“Canada’s Building Trades Unions have always supported the freedom to peacefully protest and demonstrate. However, the ongoing demonstrations we are seeing across Canada have gone too far, for too long. 

From Ottawa to Windsor to Coutts – the protests are negatively affecting local residents, workers and our economy. 

The protests in Ottawa have caused construction projects on Parliament Hill and in the downtown core to shut down because of lack of access to the sites, concerns for worker safety and disruptions to the supply chain. This has caused hundreds of workers in the Building Trades to stay home, unable to go to work, unable to earn a paycheque.

The blockade of the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit is strongly affecting the automotive industry; plant shutdowns are imminent affecting thousands of auto workers and building trades contractors and members performing maintenance. 

In Coutts, Alberta, the blockade is disrupting the agricultural and food supply chain causing job loss and hurting Canadian communities. 

Canada’s Building Trades Unions stands firmly in denouncing the protests and call on the organizers to end these actions. With over 80 per cent of Canadians fully vaccinated, the mandates are winding down regardless.

Let’s get back to work.”