No movement on Hydro Ottawa strike, union says
CTV
About 400 Hydro Ottawa workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are approaching two weeks on the picket lines after rejecting the latest offer from their employer and the union says there has been no movement from management since.
About 400 Hydro Ottawa workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are approaching two weeks on the picket lines after rejecting the latest offer from their employer and the union says there has been no movement from management since.
The strike began June 28. Employees on strike include trade, technical and inside workers, 74 per cent of whom voted to reject Hydro Ottawa's latest offer. Workers have been without a contract since March 31.
Safety concerns and staffing levels are some of the key issues, the union says, most recently citing grievances surrounding sleep time, sick leave, and health accommodations. The IBEW Local 636 says low staffing levels are stretching workers, requiring them to work longer hours, especially during significant outage events.
IBEW Local 636 business representative Mike Hall told CTV News Ottawa by phone Sunday that negotiations have been stalled for weeks.
"The last day of negotiations was May 25," he said. "We met with management June 21 to hear their latest offer, but I wouldn't call that negotiation. They gave us their offer and we took it back to the members who voted it down."
Hall said the union has reached out to a conciliator and is willing to negotiate but has not heard the same from Hydro Ottawa management. He added that while there has been no movement with Hydro Ottawa, he believes there has been some headway with local councillors on the issues.
The two sides are fairly close on wages, he said, but they remain further apart on issues like medical benefits and meal allowances. Hydro Ottawa's latest offer included a 13.6 per cent wage increase over four years, or an average of 3.4 per cent per year.
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