Big Projects Must Deliver Local Jobs

Summary#

This bill changes how Saskatchewan awards very large public works contracts. It adds a focus on “community benefits” and local jobs for projects worth more than $50 million. The goal appears to be more local hiring, training, and transparency on who works on big provincial projects.

Key changes:

• Defines “community benefit” to include local jobs, training, better public spaces, and other benefits identified by the community.
• For public works over $50 million, bidders must state the community benefits their project will provide.
• Bidders must also report expected work hours by category: Saskatchewan residents, unionized workers, Indigenous persons, apprentices, other Canadian residents, and non‑Canadian residents.
• When choosing a winning bid on these large projects, the Minister must consider community benefits and the expected work hours in each category.
• Contractors on these projects must prioritize hiring Saskatchewan residents, unionized workers, apprentices, and Indigenous persons.
• Contractors must file monthly reports on actual hours in each category and community benefits; the Minister must post these reports online and include project information in the annual report.
• Timing: If passed, it would start when it receives Royal Assent.

What it means for you#

• Businesses/contractors bidding on large provincial projects (over $50M)

  • You must include a community benefits plan with your bid.
  • You must estimate hours of work by category (local, unionized, Indigenous, apprentices, other Canadian, non‑Canadian).
  • If you win, you must prioritize hiring Saskatchewan residents, unionized workers, apprentices, and Indigenous persons.
  • You must track and submit monthly reports on actual hours in each category and community benefits achieved. These reports will be published online.

• Saskatchewan workers

  • This could increase job and apprenticeship opportunities for residents on very large public projects.
  • Indigenous workers and apprentices could see more opportunities due to the prioritization requirement.

• Out‑of‑province and non‑Canadian workers

  • The bill does not ban hiring you, but prioritizing local, unionized, Indigenous workers, and apprentices could reduce your share of work hours on these projects.

• Unions

  • The Minister must consider expected hours by unionized workers, and contractors must prioritize unionized employees on covered projects. This could lead to more unionized work on large public projects.

• General public

  • You would gain access to monthly summaries of who is doing the work (by category) and reported community benefits for large projects on a government website.

• Government procurement officials

  • You must collect new information from bidders, weigh community benefits and workforce mix when selecting bids, publish monthly reports, and add items to the annual report.

Expenses#

The bill may increase administrative and compliance costs; no estimate is available.

• Government: Costs to collect, review, and publish monthly contractor reports and to include project information in the annual report.
• Contractors: Costs to prepare community benefit plans, estimate workforce hours by category at bid time, and track and report actual hours monthly.
• Procurement outcomes: Considering factors beyond price (such as community benefits and workforce mix) could affect which bids win and project pricing, but the bill gives no cost estimate.

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to ensure very large public projects deliver clear community benefits, not just infrastructure.
• It could help keep more jobs and training opportunities in Saskatchewan.
• Prioritizing Indigenous workers and apprentices could support inclusion and skills development.
• Requiring the Minister to consider local and unionized work hours may promote stable, qualified workforces.
• Public monthly reporting could improve transparency and accountability on hiring and community outcomes.

Opponents' View#

• The bill does not set targets or weights for how community benefits and workforce categories affect bid selection. This may lead to uncertainty or subjective decisions.
• “Prioritize” is not defined with specific benchmarks. It is unclear how compliance will be measured or enforced, and the bill does not state penalties for not meeting priorities.
• Monthly reporting and public posting could add administrative burden for both contractors and government.
• Public release of workforce breakdowns may raise concerns about commercially sensitive information, though the bill does not address confidentiality.
• By favoring local, unionized, apprentice, and Indigenous hiring, the bill could reduce work opportunities for out‑of‑province and non‑Canadian workers and may discourage bids from firms without a strong local or unionized presence.
• The $50 million threshold means most smaller projects would not be affected, which could limit the overall impact on local jobs and training.