Agreement with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in the Residential Construction Sector

Effective May 1st, 2025, the City of Toronto recognizes the Carpenters’ Regional Council, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (the “CRC”) as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all carpenters and carpenters’ apprentices in its employ in the residential sector of the construction industry.

In accordance with the collective agreement, when the City awards a contract to a supplier through a procurement process for a residential construction project, the supplier must ensure that members of CRC are engaged to perform the work under the contract where stipulated by the collective agreement.

The full collective agreement is available under the related information tab on the right side of this webpage. This webpage is only a summary of the collective agreement and it is not binding. Suppliers are required to review the collective agreement in full prior to submitting any bids.

Background

On March 25, 2011, the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario/United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (now the CRC) filed a certification application to represent carpenters and apprentices employed by the City of Toronto in all construction industry sectors, excluding the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional sector. Subsequently, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) ruled on May 15, 2013, that the Certification Application was successful, granting the Carpenters bargaining rights in the specified sectors.

While bargaining began shortly after certification, negotiations were delayed by various developments. As of May 1, 2025, the parties now have a collective agreement.

Further background information can be found in the City Council decision to ratify the collective agreement.

Application

Beginning May 1st, 2025, contracts for construction work awarded by the City of Toronto in the residential sector of the construction industry in OLRB Area 8, that contains the types of work that is listed below, will be performed by contractors and/or subcontractors who are in contractual relations with the Union, and/or any of its affiliated member Local Union;

  1. all trim carpentry work (both high rise and low rise);
  2. all drywall work (save and except drywall taping);
  3. all shingling work;
  4. all siding work (including eavestrough work);
  5. all resilient floor work; and,
  6. all multi-trade and engineered scaffolding work (including all work associated with hoarding and fencing) on high rise construction.

      The City or its designate may enter into contracts or subcontracts with suppliers or subcontractors, as applicable, that are not in contractual relations with the CRC, provided that any such supplier or subcontractor not in contractual relations with the CRC must contract and/or subcontract all work listed above in (1)-(6) to suppliers or subcontractors that are bound to the appropriate Collective Agreements with the CRC and/or its affiliated Local Unions.

      Exemptions

      The City is not required to contract or subcontract residential carpentry work (including any and all of the work set out above) for:

      1. any projects listed in Appendix “A” of the collective agreement and
      2. for maintenance, repair or improvement work on existing housing stock where the cost of labour and materials for the contract (as budgeted prior to the tendering the project) is less than $408,000.00, to be adjusted annually in November for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index in Ontario.

      Responsibilities of Suppliers

      The City may award contracts to suppliers that involve both union and non-union work. It is the responsibility of the successful supplier to familiarize itself with the City’s Fair Wage Policy and its labour trade contractual obligations in the construction industry (collective agreements) that apply to this contract work, including the agreement with the CRC in the residential construction sector – and must commit to abide by them.

      Suppliers and potential suppliers  are responsible for collective agreement and Fair Wage compliance and should seek their own legal advice as to the applicability of the City’s collective agreements.

      Suppliers and potential suppliers are also required to know and understand the applicable labour environment for the City work that they are choosing to bid on. It is the responsibility of the successful supplier to ensure that the work performed in connection with a City contract (either directly or through a subcontract) will be performed  by  workers belonging to the appropriate labour trade union, in cases where the City is obligated to ensure that the work is performed by union members,  and/or that the worker(s) are paid the applicable  wage rate from the applicable Fair Wage Schedule.

      Implementation

      The City has updated the City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 67 and included a Residential Sector Fair Wage Schedule. The City will work to ensure compliance with this new requirement and will continue to work cooperatively with the CRC on labour relations matters.

      Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Sector

      This information is applicable to the residential sector of the construction industry only. For clarity, the City has collective agreements with ten trade unions in the ICI Sector as well, including the CRC. For information about these obligations, consult the City’s Fair Wage Policy.