April 23, 2008

“Historic” deal assures labour peace during Congress centre build

Ottawa Congress Centre board and local trades council sign “unprecedented” agreement

KORKY KOROLUK

correspondent

OTTAWA

The board of the Ottawa Congress Centre and the local Building and Construction Trades Council have signed an agreement that guarantees labour peace during construction of the centre’s new building.

The deal, called “historic” and “unprecedented” by the board chair Jim Durrell, also provides for contributions to local charities, and help for Ottawa’s homeless.

The pact provides that no pickets will go up at the project should a strike or strikes occur in the construction industry, and that workers on the site will remain on the job without hindrance.

It also requires workers on the project to donate money or labour for community improvement projects, and employers to make substantial donations for local charities.

There is also an agreement to use local labour on the project as well as making use of it to provide some on-the-job training for students in the Algonquin College trades training program.

Trades council president Richard Corcoran said that all 25 of the trades the council represents have signed on to the deal.

Durrell, a former Ottawa mayor, said the board would “like this project to have a meaningful impact.”

“The Building Trades Council, and Algonquin College, and the board have decided to be part of the solution to help resolve homelessness in the downtown ,” he said. “Collectively, we will make a difference.”

Details of the contribution plan have yet to be worked out. Councillor Georges Bédard, whose ward includes the downtown area where the centre is located, will head a committee to help decide just who gets what.

There is also a solid business reason to have a guarantee of uninterrupted construction, Durrell said.

“One of the things we want to do is ensure high quality, but at the same time, it’s really important that we have timely construction. One of the key ingredients in all this is obviously labour costs.”

The centre has already begun accepting conventions and meetings for 2011, so “we cannot afford to be in a position where this building isn’t ready.”

The new centre, at 200,000 square feet, will more than double the size of the present structure, which is to be demolished starting in September. Construction is expected to take two years, finishing in April, 2011, and costing $159 million. Funding will be from federal, provincial and city governments, plus private sources.

A request for proposals is to be issued later this month, with the winning consortium to be announced in July.

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