Vive Le Canada - B.C. - Alberta Labour Deal

WAYNE PEPPARD
Special to Globe and Mail Update
The name, TILMA, sounds like a destructive hurricane — and that's the kind of effect it could have if it moves across the country from British Columbia and Alberta.

The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between B.C. and Alberta has been promoted by both governments as a solution to the skilled-labour shortages faced by these two provinces.

But by deregulating and lowering qualification standards, the agreement is likely to make the problem worse. And if TILMA is picked up by other provinces, the end result could be lowest-common-denominator standards that dumb down years of progress at ensuring that earned credentials mean the highest quality standards for skilled workers.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has already discussed bringing TILMA to his province with B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, while groups such as the Canada West Foundation are pressing Saskatchewan and Manitoba to join the agreement.

But in B.C. and Alberta, the public and even major construction contractors are still asking, "What is TILMA?" — a question their counterparts in other provinces should start asking before it arrives on their doorsteps too.

TILMA was signed by B.C. and Alberta last April, with no prior public consultation or discussion. It allows almost any government regulation or standard to be challenged on the grounds that it is more restrictive to trade than necessary. Challenges will be adjudicated by panels appointed by the two provinces with the authority to impose fines of up to $5-million for each violation.

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[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on March 16, 2007]

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