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A deal has been reached that could end a weeks-long strike by highway construction workers in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
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The National Association of Capital Highway Builders said Tuesday that it had signed a tentative agreement with Local 527 of the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), which represents workers who work on highway construction and infrastructure in the Ottawa area. A union representative also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.
The deal will now go to a vote by union members, who have been on strike since July 4, demanding higher wages to cope with rising inflation. In particular, the union said it is asking for a $7 pay raise spread over three years, the length of its typical bargaining agreement.
Another deal offered by NCRBA, the employers’ representative in the talks, was rejected by union members in a vote last week. The offer had temporarily stopped picketing, but it resumed on July 14, the day after the deal was rejected.
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The operating engineers and trucking unions voted to accept the initial agreement presented by NCRBA that was rejected by LiUNA, reports Ontario Construction News.
LiUNA member and strike captain Roger Mairne said the picketers will continue to demonstrate until members accept an agreement presented by NCRBA.
“We are waiting for the road builders agreement for all city workers.”
Members have been picketing Monday through Friday and sometimes even Saturday, said Nadyne Anderson, another union member.
“We are just fighting for the ability to be able to live,” he said. “We don’t really want to be on site, we want to get back to work doing our job.”
He said that rising prices, especially fuel, have made it difficult for members to make ends meet and that the rising cost of living needs to be reflected in workers’ wages.
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“We have to drive all over the Ottawa area to get to work and the price of gas, the price of everything is going up with inflation,” Anderson said, adding that it is unfair for union members to work shifts longer than 10 hours and take time away from their families they still have a hard time paying the bills.
“We spend more time on the streets and with our crew members than we do with our own…families. We’re here for 10, 11, 12 hours every day in any weather doing our jobs to make sure the city runs smoothly and efficiently.”
LiUNA Local 527 workers are involved in construction projects for roads, bridges, water and sewer, curbs and sidewalks, buildings, demolition, light rail construction and more.
“Right now we are just trying to get an offer that will benefit us today, tomorrow and for years to come. Not just for us, but for every member of that future and present that joins the union,” Anderson said.
The strike is having an impact, most notably delaying the planned replacement of the Booth Street Bridge on Highway 417 in Ottawa.
The replacement was supposed to take place this week, but the dispute has pushed back the start date. The city’s main highway was due to be closed for 82 hours from July 14 to 18 for the replacement of the bridge.
The provincial Ministry of Transport said last week that it is working with the contractor Kiewit-Dufferin Midtown Partnership to find a new date.