Construction Unions, the False Creek Rumble, and Expo 86, Podcast Ep. 21
BC’s unionized building trades led a valiant effort in the 1980s to fight off the anti-union Social Credit government. It all came to a head in the run-up to Vancouver’s World’s Fair, Expo 86. The provincial government wanted to open the door to non-union contractors who would bid on and win major projects that previously would have been built using union labour. Through the voices of union leaders of the day, this episode of our On the Line podcast traces the politics behind the battle that gave the non-union construction sector a toehold which it never relinquished.
Publication date: July 4, 2023
Podcast length: 26:45
Hosted by: Rod Mickleburgh
Research and writing by: Patricia Wejr and Rod Mickleburgh
Production by: John Mabbott
The 1980s was a time of political and industrial confrontation between British Columbia’s unionized construction sector and the provincial government. Premier Bill Bennett’s Social Credit government sought to weaken the influence of the BC and Yukon Building Trades Council, particularly its non-affiliation clauses that restricted the use of non-union contractors on major projects.
The conflict intensified with the Pennyfarthing condominium development in Vancouver’s False Creek. After union contractors were replaced mid-project by the non-union firm JC Kirkhoff and Sons, the site became the focus of a large-scale union protest. Unemployed tradespeople, under severe economic pressure during a recession, mobilized around the project as a flashpoint of resistance. The situation escalated until a court injunction forced the unions to stand down under threat of heavy financial penalties.
Archival interviews with union leaders Roy Gautier, Gary Kroeker, and Bill Zander illustrate the challenges faced by the trades during this period, including internal divisions, legal constraints, and strategic setbacks. Although the unions attempted to negotiate a fair wage policy for Expo construction, their efforts were repeatedly blocked by government intervention. Ultimately, the Expo site was designated a “special economic zone,” nullifying key provisions of existing labour agreements.
Despite some union participation in the fair’s construction, the episode marks a watershed moment. The non-union sector gained lasting ground, and the construction industry in British Columbia was permanently altered. This episode situates the events surrounding Expo 86 within a broader pattern of labour retrenchment and political hostility during the era, providing insight into both the tactical limits of union power and the enduring consequences of state-backed opposition to organized labour.