Construction leaders send thanks to Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton

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monte mcnauhgton
Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development

Labour and business leaders from Ontarioโ€™s construction sector have thanked the province for helping to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patrick J. Dillon, business manager at the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario and Geoff Smith, president and CEO of EllisDon, commended the governmentโ€™s quick and effective actions since the global pandemic broke which, they said, helped keep construction workers safe in an open letter to Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Monte McNaughton.

โ€œThe result of all this work has been an extremely small number of COVID-19 cases โ€“ less than 20 by everyoneโ€™s count โ€“ on hundreds of worksites across the province,โ€ they wrote.

โ€œYour ministry and the industry leaders got to work to ensure that those few rogues that didnโ€™t meet the industry guidelines were shut down, and that everyone else could continue working safely.โ€

The letter also said the governmentโ€™s guidance for the sector as well as its support for increased health and safety inspections helped the construction industry immensely.

In response, McNaughton praised labour and businesses in the construction sector for their shared commitment to promoting health and safety in their workplaces.

โ€œConstruction is the lifeblood of our economy,โ€ he said in the Sarnia and Lambton County this week newspaper. โ€œWhen the COVID-19 global pandemic struck Ontario, the provinceโ€™s construction sector rose to the challenge. The fact that Ontarioโ€™s construction sector has experienced such a small number of COVID-19 cases is truly remarkable.โ€

The ongoing success of the provinceโ€™s construction sector is a positive sign that others can use as an example going forward, McNaughton said.

โ€œWe are in a time of firsts,โ€ he is quoted as saying in the newsaper.

โ€œOur roadmap is being drafted collectively, with labour, businesses and government all playing an important role. While there are still many unknowns, I have great confidence that our work together will result in safer workplaces for everyone.โ€

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