ICBA has submitted its formal response to the B.C. government’s recent Labour Code review, emphasizing the urgent need to protect stability and competitiveness in the province’s economy.
In our submission, we note that recent changes to the Labour Code – including the elimination of the secret ballot for union certification – have already shifted the balance sharply toward organized labour. These changes have weakened employee choice, hurt business competitiveness, and created uncertainty at a time when B.C.’s economy is slowing and investment is fragile.
The Committee’s latest recommendations would make this situation worse by:
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Opening the door to sectoral bargaining – a mandatory, European-style model that would impose uniform labour terms across entire industries. ICBA strongly opposes this move, which would destabilize labour relations and create winners and losers by forcing smaller and mid-sized companies into structures they cannot compete in.
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Targeting construction for further disruption – The Committee has suggested an Industrial Inquiry Commission to consider sweeping changes to the construction sector. ICBA argues this would inject unnecessary instability into a $28-billion industry that represents nearly 10% of B.C.’s GDP and employs 250,000 people. More than 85% of B.C.’s construction workers operate outside the old, union-only models the Committee is focused on.
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Eroding employee privacy and democratic rights – ICBA urges the government to restore the secret ballot for union certification and to reject proposals that would allow the disclosure of personal employee information without consent.
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Reversing a flawed picketing amendment – ICBA calls for repeal of the 2024 change allowing provincially regulated unions to refuse to cross federally regulated picket lines, which has created legal chaos and threatened uninvolved businesses.
Our message is clear: B.C.’s economy cannot afford more uncertainty and upheaval. Government must reject proposals that would destabilize labour relations and undermine the open-shop construction sector, which has been a key driver of growth, innovation, and opportunity for hundreds of thousands of British Columbians.
By aligning future labour policy with the Premier’s mandate – to grow the economy, attract investment, and provide certainty for workers and businesses – we can protect jobs, safeguard employee choice, and ensure that construction remains a cornerstone of B.C.’s prosperity.
You can read our full submission HERE.
