The B.C. and Yukon Territory Building and Construction Trades Council has filed a civil lawsuit against B.C. Hydro in B.C. Supreme Court, claiming its open shop labour model for the Site C dam project would unconstitutionally hurt union organization.

The unions say the managed open site labour strategy for the $8.8 billion dam would contravene a B.C. first hiring policy and breach the Canadian Charter of Rights by forbidding strikes.

The suit was filed March 2 in B.C. Supreme Court by the council on behalf of 15 unions.

Under the managed open site labour process that BC Hydro is using to award contracts to build the multi-billion dam, both union and non-union contractors can bid. Some of the workers would have collective agreements while others would not.

Since the filing of the lawsuit, B.C. Premier Christy Clark has stepped in to intervene, telling reporters: “I think BC Hydro took this a step too far. I’m going to get it fixed.”

She has instructed BC Hydro to change the contract terms to allow unions to organize at the construction site.

The dam is the biggest public infrastructure project in the province’s history and is scheduled to start construction in the summer.