Bill 305: Nova Scotia Jobs Agreements Act

The businesses most directly affected are general contractors and subcontractors bidding on large infrastructure projects in Nova Scotia — think construction firms building hospitals, schools, highways, or publicly supported industrial facilities. Any contractor winning work on a qualifying project must follow standardized wages, benefits, and working conditions for all on-site trades workers, whether those workers are unionized or not. Contractors also have to hit specific workforce targets: at least 25% of designated trade hours must be performed by registered apprentices, 10% of those apprentice hours must come from under-represented groups, and 10% of the overall construction workforce must be from under-represented groups. Both large firms managing complex multi-trade projects and smaller subcontractors they hire will need to track and report on these requirements, and non-compliance can trigger a corrective action plan or other ministerial remedy.