Community Benefits

The BC Building Trades started the Community Benefits Coalition of B.C. in April 2018 with the goal of building B.C. better. Since then, the coalition has grown to include local companies, local government and broad-based labour unions.

As a coalition, we believe local infrastructure projects should provide a greater benefit to local communities than just the project on the blueprint. Through Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), these taxpayer-funded projects can secure work, skills training and fair wages to qualified local residents and groups who are traditionally underrepresented in the skilled trades sector, such as apprentices, Indigenous workers and women in trades.

CBAs have been used with success throughout North America for more than 20 years.

The B.C. government announced in July 2018 that CBAs would be used for the Pattullo Bridge replacement project and the widening of Highway 1 between Kamloops and the Alberta border. CBAs have also been announced for the Broadway Subway and the new Cowichan Hospital.

We are excited about the success of these projects, and are eager to see CBAs used more widely to build other public infrastructure, like schools and hospitals.

For more information on CBAs or the Community Benefits Coalition of B.C., visit LetsBuildBC.ca.