Construction association starts integrity program

To regain the trust of construction workers and the public — which has been undermined by the findings of the Charbonneau Commission — Quebec’s construction association launched an integrity program.

L’Association de la construction du Québec, which includes 5,800 member companies, has proposed a continuing education on ethics.

Participating companies will be expected to maintain a register of gifts, donations and requests.

The association wants an independent, not-for-profit entity to award certification for a company that follows the program successfully.

The companies will be able to appoint an integrity officer to oversee implementation of the platform, starting with employee training and adoption of a code of conduct, with penalties for those who do not follow the directives.

Manon Bertrand, president of the association, says the integrity certificates will be an advantage for companies during the bidding process with their competitors and will be an asset when attracting workers.