Groups say training needed to enforce anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies

Ontario building tradeswomen demand mandatory anti-discrimination training. A 2025 survey of 342 women found 52% faced harassment. Madison Marier reports

The Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen is calling for mandatory anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training across Ontario’s construction industry.

“There’s nothing worse than having that gut feeling of, I don’t want to go to work because, you know, you’re going to be bullied,” said Nickie Lavoie, a boilermaker and OBCT co-chair.

A 2025 survey by the OBCT found that, of 342 women who responded, 52 per cent said they experienced harassment at work, and of those 51 per cent said they weren’t satisfied by how it was handled.

Lavoie said training could help Ontario address shortages in skilled trades.

“The demand for tradespeople in general is so high right now,” she said.

“We can’t refuse people just because of their gender or their skin colour or their … preferences. That’s it has nothing to do with your ability to do a trade.”

The organization said there is a gap in recruitment and retention that training could help fill -- 67 per cent of survey respondents said more women are needed in leadership positions for long-term retention.

While there are anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, there is no mandate for training.

“Individuals will have the policy posted (and) it talks about what to do, but there were never any preventative steps or measures to help stop it before it happens,” said Shavanni Singh, an OBCT paralegal.

“Having a policy just alone is very reactive and what we’re trying to do is be proactive in our industry.”

Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers must, “in consultation with the committee or a health and safety representative, if any, develop and maintain a written program to implement the policy with respect to workplace harassment.”

“Every organization is required to have a health and safety policy and a violence and harassment policy in their workplace,” said Lindsay Digby from Workplace Safety North.

“And it’s a testament or a commitment to preventing those bad things from happening in the workplace.”

But Singh said Ontario needs to go a step further and include training along with policies.

“They’ll just talk about what the steps are in the policy, where the policy will be posted, and that’s simply where it stops,” Singh said.

“Other provinces have a little section in the legislation where it talks about (how) it’s mandatory to have preventive harassment training, not just the policy.”

In response to a request from CTV News, a Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development spokesperson sent this statement:

“Minister (David) Piccini recently met with the Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen (OBCT) and values the incredible work they do advocating for women in construction. OBCT has received over $3 million through the Skills Development Fund to support their work, including projects to improve women’s retention in the trades and, most recently, an anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training initiative.”

The province added that it will continue to work with industry partners to improve training to ensure safe workplaces.