Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
The Carpenters’ Regional Council and IUOE Local 793 have officially endorsed Liberal Leader Mark Carney in the lead-up to the April 28 federal election, citing his strong commitments to skilled trades, infrastructure, and labour mobility.
In a letter to members, Carpenters’ Council president and chief of staff Tom Cardinal said Carney’s experience and leadership make him the right choice to lead the country through uncertain times.
The council represents more than 50,000 members in Ontario and is affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of Americaendorsement highlights a number of key Liberal campaign promises aimed at the construction workforce, including:
- A new apprenticeship grant of up to $8,000 for registered apprentices
- Doubling funding for the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) to $50 million annually
- Maintaining the Apprenticeship Service Program, which provides employers up to $10,000 for each new apprentice hired in a Red Seal trade
- Expanding the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction, allowing more workers to write off travel expenses when working more than 120 kilometres from home
- Accelerating project approvals and expanding the use of mass timber and modular construction methods to increase housing supply
IUOE Local 793 also welcomed Carney’s platform during a campaign stop at its training centre over the weekend, where Carney accepted the union’s endorsement in person. The local represents operating engineers across Ontario and is one of the most influential building trades unions in the country.
“Families and workers need a champion who will protect their homes and ensure they have access to the skilled trades training that is crucial to building Canada’s future,” said Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher.
Gallagher pointed to Carney’s international economic credentials — including time at the helm of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England — as key to navigating economic instability and growing the skilled labour force.
Carney used the event to underscore the importance of investing in tradespeople, warning that without significant action, Canada could face a shortfall of tens of thousands of skilled workers in the coming years.
“We are not just going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the skilled trades — we’re creating hundreds of thousands of careers,” Carney said. “Our task as a nation is to think bigger and act bigger. That starts with investing in our workers — crane operators, bricklayers, welders and the specialized trades critical to Canada’s future.”
The Liberal platform also proposes a new $20-million capital fund to help post-secondary institutions expand training facilities for apprenticeships, along with commitments to work with provinces to harmonize certification and health and safety standards for tradespeople moving between jurisdictions.
