Labor Referrals in the Construction Industry: Licenses Are in Effect

September 9, 2013, marks an important date for Québec’s construction industry. On this date the new labor-referral service administered by Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) will start, and licenses issued by Ministère du Travail’s License Office will come into effect.

Labor-referral service licenses authorize the associations that hold them to refer workers in the trades and occupations indicated, in the areas indicated, via the labor-referral service administered by Commission de la construction du Québec.

Associations may apply for a license using the form provided by the Office. It must be signed by the president of the association or by his/her representative. The application must include various documents, including a sworn statement attesting to the presence or absence of any criminal convictions in the five years preceding the application.

This requirement applies to each association officer or representative serving at the time of the application. In the event of a conviction, the association must provide the related documentation. Sûreté du Québec conducts criminal background checks on officers and representatives.

In addition to issuing licenses, the Office can receive and process complaints regarding construction industry worker referrals. It can suspend, restrict, or revoke a license, or refuse to renew a license in the event of non-compliance with regulations.

For more information on the License Office, you may consult

• The License Office website
• Bill 33, An Act to eliminate union placement and improve the operation of the construction industry
• The Regulation respecting the labour-referral service license in the construction industry
• The Regulation respecting the labour-referral service for the construction industry