By Anna Guy
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M
erit Contractors was born out of a plight for
competition, fairness and transparency in
the construction industry. During a very dif-
ficult time in Alberta’s economy in 1986, 15 prescient
contractors banned together to help keep Albertans
working in the province’s struggling construction
industry. They did so by, creating Merit Alberta in
the “open shop” or “merit” model: a non-unionized
workers model to support contractors with training,
advocacy, and education, and foster a competitive
business environment.
30 years later, over 40,000 workers, in 1,400 Alber-
tan companies have chosen Merit Alberta for its ben-
efits, training, and human resources tools. Merit grew
roots quickly and expanded to other provinces.
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business elite canada
H
APRIL 2018
