Ottawa Hospital, local building trades sign project-labour agreement for campus construction
The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) has signed an agreement with local building trades to ensure construction of its new campus is not affected by labour disruptions.
The hospital announced on January 19 that it had signed a project labour agreement with representatives from the Unionized Building and Construction Trades of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
The agreement eliminates risk for work delays and disruptions caused by strikes or lockouts during construction of The Ottawa Hospital’s new 2.5-million square-foot campus – the largest and most important health-care infrastructure project in Ottawa’s history.
“The Ottawa Hospital wants to do all we can to create a positive and safe work environment for the thousands of workers that will be on site every day during construction of our new campus,” said TOH President and CEO Cameron Love. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with trades unions on this landmark agreement that will help keep the project on schedule and avoid costs and delays associated with work stoppage.”
The agreement sets out the terms and conditions that will apply to all employers and all trades working on the project. It ensures compliance with bargaining rights and that all workers on the site are properly trained and certified, and will create apprenticeship opportunities for populations underrepresented in the construction trades, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, women, and diverse and at-risk youth.
The agreement lasts for the duration of the project.
“We are pleased to collaborate with The Ottawa Hospital to bring the highest standard of workmanship to this once-in-a-century project that will improve health care in our community,” said John Bourke, President of the Unionized Building and Construction Trades Council of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. “This partnership with The Ottawa Hospital will being out the very best of the local building and construction trades, affiliates and respective members.”
Infrastructure Ontario issued a request for proposals to build the hospital on November 29.
The new campus is being built on a 50-acre site bordered by Carling Avenue, Preston Street, and Prince of Wales Drive in Ottawa that will be home to one of Canada’s largest adult acute care hospitals, Canada’s leading neuroscience and trauma centres.