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British Columbia Bill Threatens Apprenticeship
System
The Canadian Office of the Building and Construction Trades
Department, AFL-CIO (BCTD) has cautioned its affiliates
about legislation introduced by the government of British
Columbia that would seriously erode the province’s
apprenticeship system.
The legislation Bill 34–2003—the Industry
Training Authority Act, if enacted, would provide single
modules of instruction for individuals studying a craft
or trade. Those individuals would not be required to complete
an apprenticeship program, and would never acquire journey
status in a craft. In effect, the government proposes to
create a new class of partially-trained workers who, in
all likelihood, would receive poor compensation with few,
if any, benefits.
The BCTD Canadian Office has taken the lead on lobbying
against this detrimental legislation, and has asked its
affiliate local unions and training coordinators to write
provincial Premiers and Ministers as well as Jane Stewart,
federal Minister for Human Resources Development, to express
their concerns and demand continuing national training
standards for the construction industry. |