Labor Minister Monte McNaughton’s crusade to promote and support skilled trades has helped secure the endorsement of eight “blue collar” unions for Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives heading into Thursday’s provincial election.
Monte McNaughton says his party’s efforts to promote skilled trades has helped secure the “historic” endorsement of eight “blue collar” unions for Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives heading into Thursday’s provincial election.
McNaughton, Ontario’s most recent labor minister, was personally endorsed Monday by Patrick Dillon, a recently retired business manager and secretary treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, for re-election in his riding of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.
“In the past, Conservatives haven’t had the endorsements of unions for decades, if ever,” he said. “It just speaks to the Liberals and NDP abandoning blue collar workers.”
Looking back to June 2019, when Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford asked him to take on the role of labor minister, McNaughton said he met with 100 labor leaders in his first 100 days of the portfolio.
Unions that have officially endorsed the PC party include the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, LiUNA, the Ontario Pipe Trades Council, the HVAC&R Workers of Ontario, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association and the International Union of Operating Engineers,
“We worked closely to find common ground and we’re getting endorsed by these blue collar unions because we’re ensuring that people have good jobs with pensions and benefits,” McNaughton said.
Focusing on the skilled trades is necessary, McNaughton said. Since one in three journeypersons is older than 55, the ongoing labor shortage in Ontario could become more acute in the coming years as more tradespeople opt to retire.
“For far too long, governments of all stripes … have told every young person the only way to be successful is by going to university,” he said. “There’s nothing further from the truth. Careers in the skilled trades are well paying, often with pensions and benefits, and you can go and start your own business.”
McNaughton said the Progressive Conservatives have promised an investment of $180 billion to upgrade infrastructure over the next 10 years.
“So if we want to build these projects on time and on budget, we need people in the skilled trades,” he said.
McNaughton calls the support by unions for the Conservatives “a sea change.”
“Workers know under Doug Ford, we’re going to invest in training, ensure people have bigger paycheques and we’re going to build infrastructure that’s going to give people jobs for years to come,” he added.
However, not all unions are supporting the Tories. The Ford government has not received endorsements from any public-sector unions while the NDP have been endorsed by the 180,000-member Ontario Public Sector Employees Union. New Democrats are also being supported by the Ontario Federation of Labour.
As well, concerns over Bill 124, which saw a cap on public-sector wage increases, have been raised by union officials, who want to see it repealed.
Horwath, whose New Democrats have historically been the party most closely aligned with unions, said during a mid-May campaign stop that workers should pay attention to the changes in Ford’s tune.
“I don’t change my mind about my support for unions and working people,” Horwath said at a campaign stop on Tuesday. “We’ve seen Mr. Ford attack unions, we’ve seen him attack working people, many, many times. The Conservatives always do that.
“I know who I stand with before elections, during elections and after elections.”
McNaughton said Ford was clear when he promised in a recent press conference to “get around the table and negotiate” when those public-sector contracts expire.
With Canadian Press files