OTTAWA, ON, April 28, 2026 /CNW/ - The Canadian Executive Board of Canada's Building Trades Unions today welcome the measures announced in the federal Spring Economic Statement that put skilled trades workers at the centre of the federal government's nation building, major projects, and affordability agenda. The investments announced by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne reflect a sustained commitment to the workers who build the homes, infrastructure, energy projects, and industrial capacity Canada needs. The building trades endorse the approach this Liberal government is taking, and we are ready to do our part to build what Canada needs built.

"Today's Spring Economic Statement is a strong statement of support and respect for Canada's skilled trades workers and the role we play in building our country," said Robert Kucheran, Chair of the Board of Canada's Building Trades Unions. "Prime Minister Mark Carney's new, majority, Liberal government has responded to the men and women who do this work, and the measures announced today will make a real difference for our 500,000 members and their families."

CBTU welcomes the federal government's $225M over 5 years investment in new Union Training and Innovation Program funding stream to support brick-and-mortar training infrastructure for Canada's skilled trades. Investing in facility upgrades and new technical training centres will ensure that Canada's skilled tradespeople receive the highest-quality training that provides them with practical experience to build our nation's most important infrastructure. Our training centres are part of a thorough process that the building trades invest in to turn apprentices into journeypeople and this federal funding will let union-led training centres expand to meet the workforce demand of Canada's nation-building agenda.

Further, the measures announced today on the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction are a tremendous win for Canada's skilled tradespeople and a meaningful affordability measure for the families who depend on this work. Since being introduced in 2022, CBTU has advocated for the expansion of the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction up to $10,000, recognizing that our members routinely travel hundreds of kilometres to bring their skills to where the work is. Today's announcement puts money back in workers' pockets and unlocks their ability to travel where Canada's infrastructure needs demand.  

Building Canada at the scale this moment requires depends on a skilled trades workforce ready to do the work. The investments announced today in apprenticeship including $1.94B over 5 years for a Canadian Apprenticeship Training Grant, totalling up to $16K per apprentice over a 4-block training period. Reinstating the Apprenticeship Completion Grant through $1.48B over 5 years to provide a one-time taxable $5,000 apprenticeship completion bonus. This is the kind of investment that increases training capacity and will help Canada meet that demand.

"Our members work hard, often far from home, to build Canada," said Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada's Building Trades Unions. "Today's measures will be felt at kitchen tables across the country. This announcement demonstrates a strong commitment to helping Canada Building Trades meet the moment by investing in increased capacity for union training centres, significant increase in apprenticeship supports, and incentives to attract youth to the trades, and tax relief to encourages construction workers to go to where the work is.

On behalf of our 500,000 members, CBTU thanks Prime Minister Carney, Finance Minister Champagne, and Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli, who has been a consistent champion for Canada's unionized skilled tradespeople.

CBTU has been a staunch supporter of the federal government's nation-building agenda, including the Major Projects Office created under the One Canadian Economy Act. The measures in today's Spring Economic Statement build on that foundation and confirm that Canadian skilled trades workers will be at the centre of the projects that strengthen Canada's economic security, energy independence, and industrial capacity. This investment from the Liberal government is one that will pay Canada back many times over, in productivity, in careers, and in the projects our communities need.

About Canada's Building Trades Unions 

Canada's Building Trades Unions are an organization representing 14 international unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries that collectively represent 500,000 skilled trades workers in Canada who work in more than 60 different trades and occupations and generate seven per cent of Canada's GDP. CBTU's mission is to advocate for public policy and work opportunities that benefit our members and improves the living and working conditions for construction workers across Canada. Learn more at www.buildingtrades.ca 

SOURCE Canada's Building Trades Unions