Latest news with #waterworkers
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Hamilton council ratifies collective agreement for water workers
After a months-long strike, Hamilton water workers officially have struck a deal with the city now that council has ratified a new collective agreement. The 55 workers, who oversee the water purifying process and discharge of waste water, went on strike May 14 after negotiations with the city fell through. The workers are part of the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association. "The ratified agreement with the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association recognizes the hard work and commitment of everyone at the table," said Mayor Andrea Horwath in a city news release Wednesday. "I want to thank residents for their patience and understanding throughout the labour disruption. I am proud that we were able to come together and reach a fair agreement for our employees while providing value to Hamiltonians." The collective agreement, unanimously approved at a council meeting Wednesday, will cover four years, from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2028. It is "aligned with the city's financial mandate," said the city. Specifics of the agreement have not been made public, but the workers had sought to address decades-old concerns. The first was the length of time it took to reach their top pay rate through on-the-job training, and the second was a pay gap that left some members earning about $4 less per hour than another group of workers with fewer certifications.
CBC
08-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
City announces tentative deal with striking water workers in Hamilton
City water workers have been on strike since May 14 In a social media post late Monday night, the City of Hamilton says it has reached a tentative deal with the union representing 54 water workers who have been on strike for almost two months. In the post, published just before midnight, the city said it had reached the tentative agreement with the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association (HOWEA) following ongoing negotiations. "The tentative agreement is now subject to ratification by HOWEA's membership and approval by City Council," the city said. "The delivery of critical water, wastewater and stormwater services to the community will continue uninterrupted given the commitment of both parties to recommend the agreement for ratification," the city said in a post on its website. Water workers went on strike on May 14 after negotiations with the city fell through. Greg Hoath, business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 772, on behalf of HOWEA, said in May that the workers oversee the water purifying process as well as the discharge of waste water. Back then, Hoath said workers faced two major issues that haven't been addressed for two decades. He said the first is operators are required to get four, "Level 3" certifications but are paid less than a different group of workers who are only required to have one, "Level 1" certification. The union wanted to close that gap by increasing the pay of its members by six per cent over four years. Hoath also said the second issue is that if operators want to reach the top pay rate, they have to undergo on-the-job training, but it can take the city as long as 10 years to facilitate it. In May, Mat Couture, a millwright picketing outside the plant, told CBC Hamilton that the high cost of living pushed workers into demanding more money. He says his team, which keeps the plant operating smoothly and fixes things when they break, is not paid as much as millwrights in other water systems. "We're severely underpaid," he told CBC Hamilton, noting the average wages for millwrights in online job postings are between $43 and $45 per hour, while he and his colleagues make $38.64. "In Halton Region… at the Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant, their millwrights and electricians are currently being paid $43.56 an hour."
