An Open Letter to BC Premier David Eby

Dear Premier Eby,

Your recent remarks on the US tariffs and their impact on British Columbia captured the gravity of this moment and the need for a strong, united response. You are right to call for British Columbians to stand together, to prioritize the well-being of our workers and businesses, and to take decisive action in the face of economic threats. We share your commitment to ensuring that our province remains strong and resilient.

However, at a time like this, when we face the gravest external economic threat in generations, BC must put outdated, exclusionary, and discriminatory policies behind it, ensuring that all workers and companies—regardless of their union affiliation or how their workforce is organized—can contribute to building our province. If your government is serious about protecting BC businesses and workers from economic harm, it’s time to put words into action. We urge the following be implemented immediately:

1. Let all qualified workers and contractors build BC. BC’s community benefits agreements (CBAs) directly contradict your call for BC unity. It forces major public projects into the hands of only 19 unions, excluding 85 percent of the province’s skilled workforce and the vast majority of BC contractors. If BC is truly “standing together,” then the province should open the door to all qualified contractors and workers, not just the politically favoured few. If BC is to weather these tariffs, we need a surge in major public projects in accordance with a long term economic development strategy. But that investment must be accessible to all skilled workers and companies—not just the ones that check a preferred union affiliation box.

2. Support local manufacturers and suppliers—for everyone. Prioritizing BC-based suppliers is a sound policy, particularly amid mounting external threats, but only if applied consistently. Your government cannot call for economic unity while enforcing policies that exclude the majority of our construction workforce from government-funded work. If “buying BC” matters, then so does “hiring BC”—and this must mean being open to hiring all of BC’s workers, not just a favoured group.

3. Ensure timely distribution of federal funding. While the federal government has committed to redistributing Canadian tariff revenues, we need a strong provincial voice ensuring that such relief reaches businesses and workers, without bureaucratic roadblocks and inefficiencies. Further, some of these funds could be made available to enhance the skills of our construction workforce and should be accessed by all unions, employers, and workers.

4. Engage with the entire construction industry—not just handpicked allies. Establishing a real, representative construction advisory group—one that includes open shop and progressively unionized contractors, nonaffiliated workers, and small businesses—is essential for crafting worker, apprenticeship, and procurement policies that benefit all of BC’s workforce.

5. Recognize and support authentically Canadian organizations. At a time when economic sovereignty is being tested, it is more important than ever to strengthen organizations that are truly Canadian. Such is not the case with many Building Trades Unions, which are headquartered in Washington, DC. Some of their senior leadership is even remunerated in American dollars, raising concerns about potential external influence on policies affecting BC construction workers. If we are to stand up for Canadian workers, we should prioritize policies that empower homegrown organizations that reinvest in our local economy.

6. Scrap Bill 7. In our view, Bill 7 represents an unprecedented attempt to concentrate power. Sweeping, unfettered authority to amend or override nearly any existing law without any oversight or debate in the legislature and without any opportunity for the public to express their views is unwarranted and very divisive. The most basic principle of our democracy is government accountability, and this should not be swept aside in the name of responding to the threat of tariffs from the US.

Premier Eby, these challenging times demand real leadership—leadership that turns words into meaningful action to benefit all British Columbians. You have publicly stated that your government has not focused enough on building BC’s economy and that you are willing to work with all British Columbians. Your government now has the opportunity to move beyond outdated policies and foster a truly inclusive economy.

If you are serious about standing up for BC workers collectively, this is the moment to act. Level the playing field, open up opportunities for all, and ensure that economic policies reflect fairness for the entire workforce. Our industry is ready to work to build a stronger BC, but we will not succeed if government policies divide and exclude the men and women working every day to build our province.

Sincerely,

Chris Gardner
CEO & President
ICBA

Dan Baxter
Regional Director, BC
PCA

Ryan Bruce
BC Government Relations Director
CLAC

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