B.C. construction unions demand flushing toilets on work sites

Oct. 16, 2023 – The BC Building Trades Council is calling on Premier David Eby and Minister of Labour Harry Bains to require flushing toilets on construction sites that have 25 workers or more, as has been a requirement in Quebec since 2015.

“Enough is enough,” said Brynn Bourke, executive director of the BC Building Trades Council, which represents 22 craft construction unions and more than 40,000 unionized workers. “Nearly every other industry, from film to events and tourism, has found a way to bring clean, flushing toilet facilities to mobile sites. Construction workers deserve flush toilets now.”

“Construction workers have been faced with unsanitary and undignified washroom conditions for too long. We need the provincial government to step in and stand up for the people who build this province,” said Bourke.

The new Building Trades report is accompanied by a letter-writing campaign urging the government into action. Bourke thinks the campaign will resonate with people far beyond the construction sector.

“We’re asking workers across the province, whether they work in an office, a classroom, or a healthcare setting, to imagine having to use disgusting porta-potties at work,” said Bourke. “The fact of the matter is, most people would not tolerate porta-potties, and construction workers shouldn’t have to either.”

The BC Building Trades first launched its ‘Get Flushed’ campaign following significant health and safety concerns in the construction industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.