WINNIPEG, May 19, 2026 – Manitoba construction industry associations are calling for greater transparency and an independent review regarding the development and implementation of the Manitoba Jobs Agreement (MJA) following the release of documents obtained through Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) requests.
The records raise significant concerns regarding how the MJA framework was developed, the absence of consultation prior to implementation, and the apparent lack of publicly available procurement analysis supporting one of the most significant changes to Manitoba public infrastructure procurement in decades.
The documents reveal:
- The Manitoba Jobs Agreement was developed by Manitoba Building Trades representatives
and submitted to the provincial government on July 23, 2025
- The Province and Manitoba Building Trades held only one meeting on August 26, 2025 to discuss the Manitoba Jobs Agreement
- The agreement was signed only 13 days later.
“This is not a minor administrative policy,” said Darryl Harrison, Director of Stakeholder Engagement with the Winnipeg Construction Association. “The MJA fundamentally changes procurement conditions on publicly funded infrastructure projects, affects contractor participation, alters labour administration practices, and impacts billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded construction work. Manitobans should expect a significantly higher level of consultation, transparency, and procurement analysis before a framework of this magnitude is implemented.”
The associations also point to the apparent lack of analysis prior to signing the MJA relating to:
- Bidder participation
- Competition impact
- Independent cost modelling
- Compliance cost analysis
- Value-for-money evidence supporting broader expansion of the MJA framework
The FIPPA materials further undermine suggestions that Project Labour Agreements (PLAs) are standard procurement tools for ordinary public infrastructure projects.
According to the Province’s own internal “Jurisdictional Scan” presentation:
- Only 36 PLA projects were identified (including private projects) across British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba;
- Average project values ranged from approximately $1.6 billion to $10.9 billion;
- Manitoba’s primary historic PLA examples involved extraordinary megaprojects such as the Red River Floodway Expansion and Manitoba Hydro projects;
- Project timelines ranged from 4 to 16 years.
“These records show PLAs have historically been used selectively on massive megaprojects with extraordinary labour coordination requirements — not as broad procurement frameworks for routine public infrastructure,” said Chris Lorenc, President and CEO of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.
Industry associations have requested an independent oversight review into the development, governance, and financial structures associated with the Manitoba Jobs Agreement. The three construction associations have written to the Manitoba Ombudsman to ask for a review of the process to develop the MJA and recommend a pause in it further use.
“This issue has moved well beyond a normal policy disagreement,” said Shawn Wood, Executive Director of the Construction Association of Rural Manitoba. “It is now a serious public-interest procurement issue involving transparency, competition, governance, worker choice, and accountability for taxpayer dollars.”
The Winnipeg Construction Association, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, and Construction Association of Rural Manitoba continue to support apprenticeship growth, workforce development, fair wages, and strong labour standards. However, the associations maintain that public infrastructure procurement must remain transparent, evidence-based, broadly consultative, and open to all qualified Manitobans.
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