Dis-orienting mobile construction workforces: impacts and externalities within the political economy of resource-based regions

ABSTRACT

The political economy of labour landscapes in resource-dependent regions continues to transform with important implications for workers, families, communities, service providers, businesses, and industries. Over time, mobile work has created a new form of worker-employer dependence where some elements of traditional local labour relationships exist, but other elements have shifted. In this paper, we focus on evolving mobile workforce practices and their associated implications for workers in the construction sector. In particular, we look at how the changing demand for mobile labour in Canada has shifted the negotiating power of both industry and workers. Within this context, we find that underdeveloped industry policies and weak senior government regulatory regimes have not kept pace with the realities of these changing mobile work landscapes. Drawing upon our case study of BC Hydro’s Site C dam project in British Columbia, Canada, we situate new institutionalism within the political economy of mobile work to expand understanding of how stakeholder behaviours are affecting labour practices. Among our key findings are that industry stakeholders have failed to renew workplace policies and processes to reflect mobile labour practices. The result has been a dis-orienting environment for mobile workforces where many of the impacts or externalities associated with mobile work have been transferred to workers, their families, and their communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Political economy
• labour mobility
• resource development
• rural

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [grant number 895-2011-1019], as well as the Canada Research Chair Program [grant number 950-203491 and grant number 950-222604].

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Staging areas are central infrastructure assets (i.e. airports, parking lots, etc.) where services and facilities (i.e. long-term parking, waiting areas) are developed to accommodate the needs of mobile workers (Butters et al. 2019). These staging points are designed to collect workers from surrounding regions into a centralised hub where they may be transported to designated work sites through chartered flights or bus service.

2. There were no differences in the responses provided by female interviewees. This small group of women had been commuting for work for a number of years. Their support networks drew heavily upon both men and women.

3. Work camps are defined as accommodations used by industry to house temporary mobile workforces. They are often used in remote locations or under circumstances where there is a small housing market with limited capacity to accommodate a large influx of temporary mobile workforces used to support large-scale industry construction and operations.

4. Mileage rates varied according to distance to staging areas and the work site, but include $75.00 for workers commuting 50 and 100 km to a staging airport; $100.00 for commutes between 100 and 150 km; and $125.00 for commutes beyond 150 km to designated travel hubs (Construction Maintenance and Allied Workers Canada). Mileage for workers that provide their own transportation to the work site varies and starts from $125 for commutes between 250 km – 500 km, to a maximum of $350 for commutes exceeding 1,000 km (Petrowest B.C. Construction LTD 2015). No mileage is provided for workers within 250 km of Site C.

5. A paystub is a pay cheque slip that provides employees with information about their earnings and payroll deductions for benefits (i.e. employment insurance, pension, health, etc.) for a specified pay period.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canada Research Chairs [950-203491]; Canada Research Chairs [950-222604]; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [895-2011-1019].

Notes on contributors

Laura Ryser

Laura Ryser is the Research Manager of the Rural and Small Town Studies Program at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her research interests include rural restructuring and community transition, institutional barriers to change, labour mobility, and innovative services in small communities.

Greg Halseth

Dr. Greg Halseth is a Professor in the Geography Program at the University of Northern British Columbia, where he is also the Canada Research Chair in Rural and Small Town Studies and Co-Director of UNBC’s Community Development Institute. His research examines rural and small town community development, and local and regional strategies for coping with social and economic change.

Sean Markey

Dr. Sean Markey is a Professor with the School of Resource and Environmental Management in the Faculty of Environment at Simon Fraser University. His research concerns issues of local and regional economic development, community sustainability, and sustainable infrastructure.