Builders concerned over concrete supply

July 4, 2022




A B.C. concrete supplier strike at Rempel Bros. Concrete has ended, but concrete supplies are still spotty across B.C. and Alberta.
Large commercial and industrial projects are taking precedence for deliveries of supply, leaving small and medium residential builders in a quandary, according to the Homebuilders Association of Vancouver (HAVAN).
Beyond added costs, the potential for delays to create a cascade of negative effects is real. Trades intended to follow the concrete pour sequence are multiple and schedule disruptions can lead to loss of workers who may not be available when the concrete finally is poured, further escalating costs, and delays, builders add.
“In Ontario after a recent strike in the same sector, many drivers and form workers did not return to work as they had secured alternate work in the interim,” said HAVAN CEO Ron Rapp. “Given B.C.’s low unemployment rates, being able to retain skilled workers in a somewhat stable market is a challenge, let alone the added pressure from the strike.”
Workers, members of IUOE Local 115 ended the five-week strike June 24, after landing a deal with employers.
"Some desperately-needed pours will no doubt begin this weekend and our members will have peace of mind that their jobs are secure for the future," Mike Mayo, the union’s business representative and bargaining agent for the negotiations, said in a statement released after negotiations with Rempel Bros. Concrete wrapped up.
However, a shortage of cement at ready-mix plants in B.C. is spreading to Alberta, prompting calls for a long-term cement strategy to meet growing demand.
A fire at the Lafarge plant in Richmond, B.C., on May 31 and a maintenance shutdown at the Ash Grove Cement plant in Seattle have exacerbated a supply crunch stemming from a labour dispute at Lehigh Hanson facilities in the Lower Mainland.
The result is cement supplies to the Lower Mainland are running more than 60 per cent below normal—leading to delayed pours and extended construction timelines. Several smaller plants have shut down for days at a time.
Canada is a net exporter of cement, and this makes the current situation frustrating for builders. Statistics Canada data shows cement exports totalled $670.2 million in 2021—almost all of it shipped south to the United States—while it imported $217.5 million.