Tridel Teams Up with Industry to Tackle Racism in Construction
Mayor John Tory, Minister Monte McNaughton, LiUNA Local 183, RESCON & BILD Join Tridel and EllisDon at The Well
TORONTO, Nov. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Canada's leading condominium developer, Tridel, kicked off their Built for Respect campaign in partnership with Ellis Don, the Labourers' International Union of North America- Local 183, Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) and Building Industry & Land Development Association (BILD), to tackle and ideally eliminate racism within the construction industry. This endorsement by industry associations showcases the strong action and resolve these groups have collectively made in support of anti-racism and in the fight against racism.
Andrea DelZotto, Director & EVP Community Development, Tridel Group of Companies joined: Mayor John Tory; Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton; Jason Ottey, Director of Government Relations and Communications, LiUNA Local 183; Richard Lyall, President, RESCON; David Wilkes, President & CEO, BILD; and Geoff Smith, President and CEO, EllisDon at The Well construction site for their first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion focused Safety Talk to Tridel and Deltera employees as well as the trade partners currently working to build that community.
"I want to thank Tridel and all of the partners for bringing this campaign to fruition. Built for Respect is not only necessary right now but an impactful way for the sector to come together and address an ongoing issue. We have seen over the past few months an increase in racist and discriminatory threats against members of this community, and the only way in which we can fight this is by coming together and taking a stand against anti-Black racism within our city. This campaign will do just that and I look forward to supporting it," said Mayor John Tory.
The Built for Respect initiative at Tridel was developed with their construction division, Deltera, to focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion which will be driven by a Steering Committee, made up of employees at all levels and across all teams of the organization. Tridel and Deltera have a two to five year plan which demonstrates the sustained commitment of the Company to going beyond their own workforce to support industry and communities where they build.
"As I've always said, at Tridel and Deltera, the first community we build is our own. It's our responsibility to continue to build a culture built on integrity, respect and professionalism. It's impossible to do that without a community that embraces diversity," says Andrea. "We started a very important conversation in our industry. Our Built for Respect initiative is the foundation of our efforts to educate and build awareness around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion," says Andrea.
Tridel's Built for Respect mandate works to provide clarity on what is expected and what will not be tolerated to ensure every workplace remains equitable and inclusive for everyone. Providing the appropriate training and education in support of anti-racism is a major milestone in raising awareness that racist acts are not typically in isolation, and that systemic racism exists within the field of construction.
Any and all forms of racism, hate or bigotry have no place in our organization, our industry or in our communities. That is why LiUNA has adopted a zero tolerance policy for any member who is found to have participated in a racially motivated act on a jobsite or workplace risks permanent expulsion from our Union. LiUNA was built on diversity and inclusion and to provide a voice for the unheard and often unseen. "LiUNA will continue to work towards building a society where all people can work free of racism and discrimination. I am proud to be part of the Premier's Council on Equality of Opportunity as well as the RESCON group," says Jason Ottey. "Our approach needs to be sustained, pervasive and resolute."
The innovation in collaboration on this issue reflects the commitment the group is making to change. Richard Lyall says, "We have to address racism in the construction industry immediately and develop a strategy on what we need to do going forward to try and change behaviours and thinking. We are working with a number of developers, like Tridel, that allow us to increase our ability to influence widespread change; it showcases how we are stronger together."
RESCON recently launched a Construction Against Racism Everywhere (CARE) campaign in an effort to positively influence a culture shift within the construction workforce.
"We have to be an active part of the solution," says BILD's David Wilkes. "We are an inclusive industry and we have such a diverse representation of people of every culture. Everyone is equal and because of that, there is zero tolerance for racial incidents. We need to work towards a future where every person is free from real or perceived threats of hateful or racist acts."
BILD will be introducing an Anti-Racism pledge to their membership which will be supported by a dedicated steering group that is committing to long term mandate of awareness and education.
"In order for the construction industry to reflect Canada's values, we must look like Canada at every level, tradesperson, site leadership and executive level up and down the supply chain. That access does not currently exist, and will require training, mentorship and capital all targeted directly at the BIPOC community. And we need specific time based goals so that we can measure our progress. EllisDon is determined to participate as much as we can in these initiatives, because any other outcome is simply immoral."
EllisDon's commitment to Inclusive Diversity is to work together to create an inclusive environment where all of our employees can reach their full potential and individual differences are valued and respected. In 2020, EllisDon founded the Alliance of Black Employee Experience and Leadership (ABEEL) with the goal to educate and raise awareness on how we can all be part of the change to stop anti-Black racism within EllisDon and our communities.
"We have zero tolerance for any form of hate, racism or discrimination," said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. "With government, industry and labour working together we can build an Ontario that is more diverse, more inclusive and more respectful of every person in our province."
The construction industry literally builds community. The event held today is just the beginning but it is a good one as it shows the strength and commitment from all these critical sectors that together can bring real meaningful change to an issue that strikes at the heart of what it means to be a part of our wonderfully diverse City where hate and racism has no place.
About Tridel
Tridel® is Canada's leading developer and builder of condominium residences with more than 85 years of homebuilding experience. To date, the Tridel Group of Companies is responsible for producing over 85,000 homes. Tridel is determined to develop condominium communities that meet the needs of today's homeowners while safeguarding the well-being of future generations. The company is working to meet this goal by focusing on innovation including environmentally sustainable design, performance in construction and corporate stewardship.
Tridel is committed to building the highest quality condominiums possible and has won virtually every award in the industry for design, customer service, sales, marketing and construction excellence. Tridel looks forward to continuing the long, proud history of award-winning excellence with over 20 new condominium communities currently under development in the Greater Toronto Area.
To learn more about how Tridel is supporting anti-racism in the construction industry, click here.
SOURCE Tridel Corporation
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