The History of NB Merit

In 1986, a group of contractors in Alberta decided that if their future in
the construction industry was to remain viable, there needed to be some
substantial and difficult decisions made in how they operated within the
construction climate of the day.

Thus the Merit Contractors Association of Alberta was born. Since that
time, the Merit Contractors Association has expanded across Canada from BC to
Newfoundland.

The ECANB brought Merit to New Brunswick in 1994. The reason for this was
to provide services to and a voice for the large portion of the construction
industry in New Brunswick, which operated "non-union". An agreement was
signed to provide an Hour Bank Program along with other Merit Services as
well.

Merit was to be offered to ALL sectors of the industry, not just the
electrical sector. The program got off to a good start, however some
problems soon became apparent. .Offering the program under ECANB made it
difficult to persuade non-electrical firms and tradespersons to participate.
As well, it also made some non-union electrical firms nervous. They had fears
about being unionized against their will.

Hence, it was decided that formation of a separate group would be to
everyone's benefit. Marketing to other trades and general contractors would
be more acceptable, non-union firms would be more comfortable, and Merit New
Brunswick would take charge of its own destiny. A meeting was called to
form a new association in 1998; however, the momentum dissipated after that.
In 2000, a group of union and Merit contractors met again to revive the
matter of incorporation. Decisions were committed to paper, the legal
paperwork was completed, and the move to incorporate was made. The New
Brunswick Merit Contractors Association became a reality in January 2001.

From the beginning in Alberta and up until November 2008, Merit operated as an affiliated group of Merit Contractor Associations from across Canada. Merit Contractors and their employees have interest in and enjoy the physiology of Open Shop contracting and the inherent rights of a freedom of choice. In November 2008 all of the Merit Provincial Associations met in Alberta and formed a National association “MERIT CANADA”; in which each Provincial Association is a partner.

The Merit Association was in the past and is in place today to provide for the needs and the benefit of workers who choose to work "non-union" for the "open-shop" companies who employ them.