Electricians give Ford PCs full endorsement for re-election

 In this election, while public sector unions are backing the NDP and Liberals, building trades unions are moving to the PC Party.

Brian Lilley - 
© Provided by Toronto Sun

A major construction union that once fought the Progressive Conservative Party in multiple elections is now offering their full endorsement for the June 2 vote.

The IBEW Construction Council of Ontario, representing electricians across the province, has issued a statement saying Doug Ford and his team deserve to be re-elected.

It’s the third major construction union to endorse the PCs since the election began.

“Premier Ford has proven over the last four years that he not only supports and understands the needs of the electrical trades but has backed it up with positive and meaningful action that is unprecedented in our union’s history,” union executive James Barry said.

The union represents approximately 18,000 members in various locals across Ontario.

Barry cited the hard work of Labour Minister Monte McNaughton in the decision to endorse the PC Party. He said the government has put a tremendous emphasis on safety and training including for apprentices.

“The Ontario PC government not only gave us a voice, they also gave us a seat at the table and they actually listened,” Barry said.

The government has put a strong emphasis on getting more people into the skilled trade in Ontario including adding curriculum measures in high schools, bringing recruiters into schools for career day and helping people transition from social assistance with second career opportunities. The change in tone and attitude has led to a cooperative rather than confrontational relationship between the government and the building trades sector which is now bringing political rewards for McNaughton and Ford.

IBEW were once major funders of the Working Families Coalition, a collection of unions in Ontario that ran successful campaigns against the PCs in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2014. In the last election after backing the Liberals for so many years, the coalition stayed silent. In this election, while public sector unions are backing the NDP and Liberals, building trades unions are moving to the PC Party.

LiUNA, the labourers union, was the first to endorse and encourage their more than 80,000 members to help re-elect Ford. Last week, the Boilermakers, also former backers of Working Families, gave their support to a second Ford mandate.