Project Management Agreement

To assist in project management of the multi-year flood protection project and to help ensure no delays due to labour disruptions, the Manitoba Floodway Authority (MFA) has established a project management agreement for the project. Such agreements are not new and have been used on a variety of projects in Manitoba and in Canada including Highway 407 in Ontario, the Confederation Bridge project, the Vancouver Island Highway Project, and numerous Manitoba hydro development projects.

On March 9, 2005, the MFA announced agreement with the Manitoba Building and Construction Trades Council (MBCTC) on a Project Management Agreement (355kb) . This agreement is good news for the project, the taxpayer, workers and the construction industry by helping to ensure cost and labour certainty over the five year life of the project.

The Project Management Agreement was the culmination of many months of discussion among the MFA, the MBCTC and the construction industry. It provides a level playing field for contractors and workers who are planning to participate in the floodway project. Some of the main provisions of the agreement are:

• No stoppage of work or work slowdown during the course of the project.
  
  
• Both union and non-union workers and contractors will be eligible to work and bid on the project;
  
  
• Non-union workers will not be required to join a union;
  
  
• All contractors - union and non-union - will be allowed to bring their current employees to the project;
  
  
• A rotational hiring provision that provides for 1/3 of new hires to be union hires; 1/3 qualified employment equity hires; and 1/3 qualified workers at large;
  
  
• Union workers will continue to pay union dues while non-union workers will pay an equivalent fee for the services rendered by the union;
  
  
• Wages will be the same for union and non-union workers with benefits equivalent to those contained in the appropriate union benefits plan;
  
  
• Union dues and service fees will be administered by a third party administrator for MFA; and
  
  
• Employee lists to be maintained by MFA.

With the agreement in now in place, the MFA is now focusing on tendering the work on the project. Once the tenders are issued, any interested contractor is encouraged to bid on work for the $665 million floodway expansion project.

Please contact the Manitoba Floodway Authority for a copy of the Project Management Agreement at:

The Manitoba Floodway Authority
200-155 Carlton Street
Winnipeg, MB  R3C 3H8

Tel. (204) 945-4900
Toll Free 1-866-356-6355