Agreement on Labour Mobility in the Construction Industry (2006) between the Government of Ontario and Québec

This agreement sets out measures agreed to by the governments of Ontario and Quebec to facilitate access to the construction labour markets in both provinces. It replaces all previous bilateral agreements on labour mobility and the recognition of qualifications, skills and work experience, in particular: š

• the labour mobility terms of the Ontario-Quebec Agreement on Public Procurement and Construction Labour Mobility, signed on December 24, 1993;
• the Agreement on Labour Mobility and Recognition of Qualifications, Skills and Work Experience in the Construction Industry (1996), signed on December 6, 1996; and, š
• the recommendations of the Joint Report of the Special Negotiators for Ontario and Quebec, signed on November 11, 1999.

Several general principles have guided the development of this agreement: š

• Ontario and Quebec are committed to the fair treatment of persons, goods, services and investments, regardless of where they originate in Canada.
• The province in which a person lives will not be a bar to employment, apprenticeship training or trade certification in the other province.
• Ontario and Quebec each agree to treat construction contractors and workers from the other province in a manner that is equivalent to the best treatment that each accords to its own construction contractors and workers.
• Ontario and Quebec agree that membership in a trade union will not inhibit labour mobility. At the same time, both provinces acknowledge that union 5 membership may be required by provincial law or by convention within the construction industry.
• Ontario and Quebec each have the right to regulate their construction industries in their own way.
• The different regulatory systems in Ontario and Quebec, which govern training and certification in the construction industry, will not prevent full recognition, by both jurisdictions, of the qualifications, skills and work experience of contractors and workers.

Implementation

In Ontario, the organizations responsible for implementing this agreement include the Ministry of Government Services (MGS), the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), the Ministry of Labour (MOL), the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and any other agency specifically designated for that purpose.

In Quebec, the organizations responsible for implementing this agreement include the Ministère du Travail, the Ministère de l’emploi et de la solidarité sociale (MESS), the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) or any other body recognized by it, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ), the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) and any other agency specifically designated for that purpose.