Manitoba’s NDP government is planning to lift a ban on project labour agreements enacted by the former Progressive Conservative government.
The agreements require non-unionized workers on large government projects to be governed by the same rules and benefits as their unionized counterparts.
The Tories banned the practice, saying it drove up costs and dissuaded non-union contractors from bidding for work.
But NDP Labour Minister Maya Marcelino says the agreements control costs, reduce the risk of work stoppages and can increase safety.
Marcelino has put forward the change in a bill before the legislature.
The NDP has hinted other labour bills will come this spring, including one that could ban the use of replacement workers during strikes and lockouts.