Human Resources committee  There is a solution. The solution is to certify your contractors, because most of this is in the construction industry. It's so easy to launder money. It has all broken down. That's where there are a lot of illegal immigrants. Because they're temporary jobs, a lot of them are cash only.

Human Resources committee  As far as I'm concerned, there wouldn't be a skills shortage in the construction trades, which is the industry that provides tradesmen for the rest of the industries. For example, if a hospital needs a plumber, they don't start an apprenticeship; they take a plumber who typically comes from the construction industry and he goes and works for the hospital.

Human Resources committee  Ours is slightly lower. We've had quite an intake of young people. We put a school together, and we've really done a lot of recruiting, so it has lowered our age. According to Canada's own statistics, there's a requirement for only about 100 additional ironworkers per year over the next three years.

Human Resources committee  Quebec and Alberta are the only two provinces where it's compulsory to be a registered apprentice and/or be a certified journeyman. That's the answer; there's no other.

Human Resources committee  Any job that the federal government puts money towards such as the Golden Ears Bridge, the RAV line, the rapid transit line--there are all kinds of examples. I've talked to numerous labour ministers in the federal government and suggested this over the years, saying you have the hammer, the power to do this; all you have to do is say on those jobs all tradespeople will be either registered apprentices or certified.

Human Resources committee  I'm not offended by foreign workers coming in. What we're seeing happen is that people are bringing them in and paying them far less than whatever the market rates are, going to the extreme of paying people $3.50 an hour. When you are issued a work permit, you can only work for that employer.

Human Resources committee  I'm not aware of it. I sent a proposal in to Human Resources Canada a couple of months ago.

Human Resources committee  The provincial government has eliminated all compulsory certification, so essentially to get your certification for any trade is voluntary. There is no reason in this province to even pursue that. I personally believe that was all part of a constructive effort to de-skill the workforce in this province.

Human Resources committee  We call them travel cards. We have about 100 travel cards working right now out of this area. In 1981 and 1982 we had approximately the same membership, but we had over 6,000 ironworkers within a two- to three-year timeframe come from eastern Canada—well, from right across Canada.

Human Resources committee  It's because there isn't the need. As well, in the early eighties there were a lot more camp jobs and there was a lot more overtime, so it was more lucrative. Right now, we're concentrating more on training. At the time, we had double the apprenticeship classes; we were flush with—

Human Resources committee  Not the ironworkers.

Human Resources committee  No.

Human Resources committee  Yes. In the early eighties there were a lot of mines in this province. You had the Mica Dam and Revelstoke Dam, which were huge camp jobs. You had Tumbler Ridge and a lot of golden.... There were a number of mines going on, which were typically camp jobs, making it a lot easier for a person to come from back east or wherever.

Human Resources committee  Okay. --I put together a proposal called the Ironworker Aboriginal Initiative. Subsequently, a meeting with former minister Jane Stewart led to a referral to the Construction Sector Council for consideration of my project outline. The CSC took on my project and obtained funding through HRSDC.

Human Resources committee  Thank you. I'm going to give you a brief introduction of what an ironworker is. We're part of the building trades. We're the people who place the rebar in concrete structures. We place the structural steel in your buildings and bridges. We're pretty well on every job that's not made out of wood.