CBTU Statement on the Fall Economic Statement

Today, the federal government released the 2024 Fall Economic Statement (FES), which includes strong commitments for Building Trades members and skilled trades workers across the country, and promises new jobs and opportunities for apprentices. Commitments in the Fall Economic Statement include strong labour conditions attached to the new Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit.  

“We are thrilled to see prevailing wage requirements tied to the new Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit and we look forward to supporting their implementation. Strong labour conditions mean that government tax incentives are tied to good, high-skill, high-wage skilled trades jobs in the clean economy,” said Sean Strickland, Executive Director for Canada’s Building Trades Unions, “The Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits are a game-changer for our members and we’re thrilled to see continued action to advance these measures.” 

As Canada works toward its sustainability goals for 2050, these tax credits will play a crucial role in facilitating the transition and driving economic growth through the creation of well-paid, clean, green jobs in the economy of the future. Canada’s Building Trades Unions is also pleased to be recognized as a key partner in developing the skilled trades workforce of the future. Canada’s Building Trades Union’s ‘Build Your Skills’ learning platform, developed by CBTU alongside our training partner, SkillPlan, was featured in the Fall Economic Statement. This platform will provide the critical resources for people looking for new career opportunities in the skilled trades. 

“The Build Your Skills online learning platform will support apprentices in construction by offering literacy and learning resources to help aspiring tradespeople succeed in an apprenticeship, and their future career in the skilled trades,” shared Strickland, “As we work towards filling our apprenticeship pipeline, it is critical that programs like Build Your Skills  are there to help scale up to ensure we’re able to recruit Canadians with an interest in the skilled trades, particularly among underrepresented groups into the construction sector.” 

One of the key sectors highlighted in the Fall Economic Statement and of critical importance to building trades members is the nuclear sector. Canada’s Building Trades Unions welcomes the moves towards regulatory efficiency proposed by the government, including changes to site approvals for new nuclear generation, and the further investments in large-scale and small-scale nuclear power generation, as well as the supply chain.  

“The investments the government is proposing in the nuclear sector and the nuclear supply chain will not only benefit Canadians with reliable, affordable, non-emitting electricity, it will benefit generations of skilled trades workers who will build and maintain these facilities,” said Strickland, “The nuclear sector has been a source of high-quality, unionized jobs in the skilled trades, and with the government’s proposals today, I believe the future is bright in this sector for many young Canadians who will find work in Canada’s nuclear sector thanks to these changes.” 

In addition to these key measures, Canada’s Building Trades Unions is also pleased to see a number of other measures in the Fall Economic Statement, including: 

• Addition protections for workers against wage theft, including increased fines and penalties.  

• A commitment to include Waste Biomass in the Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits, including investments in converting the Belledune power station in New Brunswick to waste biomass from coal, with our partner NB Power. 

• A commitment to expand the Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit to include hydrogen produced from methane pyrolysis, a nascent but promising new method, as an eligible production pathway.  

“Canada’s Building Trades Unions looks forward to continue advocating for these measures, and others in the Fall Economic Statement, and we hope that Parliament will support the passage of these measures to the benefit of all skilled trades workers in Canada,” says Strickland.