More apprentices with NDP plan

Re: “NDP is making a classic NDP mistake,” column; “Infrastructure plan will make labour shortage worse,” comment, July 22.

Both opinion pieces, critical of the NDP’s “community benefit” infrastructure model, were misleading. The model wasn’t started by the NDP.

It began with W.A.C. Bennett and Social Credit in the 1960s to build the Peace and Columbia River dams. It continued with Bill Bennett and Gordon Campbell, most recently with the Mica, Brilliant and John Hart hydro infrastructure.

Tenders for Site C, a Christy Clark decision, were the first move away from “community benefit.” Clark’s Site C had two per cent apprentices among 2,000 workers.

“Community benefit” projects are open tenders. Contractors that are non-union, union or have employer-dominated unions all bid equally.

“Community benefits” cost taxpayers less than the free-for-all model. Under that model, the new Port Mann Bridge was $1 billion overbudget and is now being investigated for corrupt tendering.

Using the W.A.C. Bennett “community benefit” model, all contractors bid on a level playing field. All the college training in the world won’t train the next generation; 80 per cent of training takes place on the job. “Community benefits” guarantee that all contractors — non-union, union, employer-dominated union — oversee ratios ensuring 25 per cent of the workers will be apprentices.

Joe Barrett Victoria