Sunday, September 7, 2025

Behind the Bids—Recognizing the Roles in Our Shared Success

Most of the time, what defines our work is not opposition but partnership

By Ian DeWaard, Ontario and Manitoba Director

We often talk about construction sites as places where members put their skills to work, pouring concrete, installing drywall, laying finishes, and much more to bring plans on paper to life. And rightly so. The work you do is essential and valuable.

But before a single shovel hits the ground, a quiet and often unseen competition takes place. CLAC-signatory employers must navigate tight deadlines, high expectations, and intense competition just to secure the work that allows you to do your job.

Recently, CLAC has been engaged in a similar process. The union is exploring the construction of a new member centre in Grimsby, Ontario. In preparing for that project, we invited more than a dozen general contractors to submit bids and met with several in interviews. We talked about project timelines, safety, risks, labour planning, communication, and costs.

Seeing the project from the owner’s side gave me a fresh appreciation for the work these professionals—owners, estimators, project managers, and support staff—do every day. They carry enormous responsibility. Sometimes, they win a job; often, they do not. But in every case, just preparing the bid involves investment, stress, and complex coordination.

As union representatives, we often focus on advocacy and accountability. We negotiate contracts, push for stronger wages and benefits, and ensure compliance with collective agreements and employment laws. Standing up for you and your fellow members matters deeply.

But as we carry out that essential work, it’s easy to overlook the fuller picture. Any successful project depends not just on tradespeople, but on the entire operation—from the bid team to the site supervisors. Members contribute skill, integrity, and dedication to quality. Employers contribute opportunity, resources, and risk management. Without their work—long before a job starts—there would be no job at all.

These mostly behind-the-scenes people care about the outcome just as much as we do. They aim for safe, well-run sites. They want to build something that adds value and secures their reputation. They want projects to succeed for the client and the community. When we see things in this light, it’s clear their contribution is essential to ours.

It is all too easy to focus only on moments of conflict or challenge. A delayed paycheque, a scheduling issue, a disagreement over language in the agreement—those are real moments that must be addressed. But having walked through the tendering process myself, I was reminded that most of the time, what defines our work is not opposition but partnership.

There is real strength in being able to see and appreciate someone else’s contribution. Doing so does not diminish our own. If anything, recognizing each other’s efforts helps build a stronger, more respectful workplace. CLAC believes we can protect the dignity of labour. Part of that dignity includes acknowledging the value of leaders and managers.

When we make space for that kind of appreciation, we do more than create stable work environments. We create places of real partnership, where collaboration, honesty, and respect shape the workday just as much as tools or blueprints. This leads to jobs that are not only productive, but also places we are proud to be a part of—and where we look out for each other.

Let’s keep advocating for better work. But let’s also take time to appreciate the effort of those who help make that work possible. Together, we’ll build more than projects. We’ll build community.

Behind the Bids—Recognizing the Roles in Our Shared Success

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