Bill 621: The Public Works and Services (Prioritizing Local Jobs) Amendment Act

This bill primarily affects construction, engineering, and infrastructure companies that bid on large Saskatchewan government contracts — think general contractors, heavy civil construction firms, and specialty trades companies working on highways, public buildings, or major infrastructure. Any company, whether a large national firm or a Saskatchewan-based contractor, that wants to win government work over $50 million will need to track and report workforce hours broken down by residency status, union membership, apprenticeship, and Indigenous identity, both at the bid stage and monthly throughout the project. Firms that rely heavily on out-of-province or foreign workers may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage compared to contractors with deeper local labour rosters. Smaller subcontractors on these projects may also feel indirect pressure to demonstrate local hiring practices in order to help the prime contractor score well on community benefit metrics.