British Columbia: Bastion of the free market?
Washington's labor policies lag behind B.C.'s reforms

By Jason Mercier, Evergreen Freedom Foundation

No offense to our neighbors up north, but one generally would not expect the labor policies of British Columbia (B.C.) to show more free market common sense than those here in Washington. In light of our current economic troubles, the reforms adopted in B.C. are just what the economist ordered to address Washington’s current anti-business climate.

In this last election cycle, B.C.’s Liberal party entered into its own type of "contract with Canada." The Liberals ran on a business-friendly platform, promising to enact major labor reforms within 90 days of taking power. Based on those promises, the Liberal party swept into office. Now party members are making good on their contract to resolve B.C.’s business climate problems.

Realizing the astronomical and unnecessary costs that certain labor policies inflict on public works and other government services, the Liberal party instituted, among other things, the following reforms:

• Restored open bidding on all government contracts, ending Canada’s version of project labor agreements;
• Eliminated union-only "hiring hall" requirements on all highway construction projects; and
• Established education as an "essential service," eliminating future strikes and lockouts in public schools.

One of the more interesting elements of the Liberal party’s actions were its reforms in education. Since all education decisions should be based on the best interests of students, the Liberal party justified its essential service classification (services that must be provided, eliminating strikes and lockouts) of education by stating, "No child’s right to education should be denied during school strikes and lockouts. . . . Our children should not have to pay the price if teachers or school support staff and school boards are not able to resolve their differences."

Instead of presidential executive orders forcing Governor Locke to abandon his attempts to reward labor with project labor agreements (PLA), Washington’s elected officials should follow the lead of B.C. officials and stop engaging in anti-business labor practices. President Bush’s executive order banning PLA’s on federally financed projects was the only thing stopping the capital building renovation from being taken hostage by labor demands. When true competition is protected rather than hindered by government, everyone benefits, especially the taxpayer. If the Canadians can get it right, it’s about time we did too, eh?

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org