Charlottetown water and sewer workers take legal action, continue to strike

Charlottetown workers from CUPE Local 830 are striking in hopes of wage increases. (CTV News)

CUPE Local 830, which represents Charlottetown’s water and sewer workers has taken legal action against the City of Charlottetown.

A motion for an injunction has been officially filed against a senior city official as well as the city itself, CUPE Local 830 said.

The injunction filed states the city official, and city of Charlottetown can not interfere with the workers “lawful picketing activity.” It also states the city, and its officials cannot “publish communications that are defamatory or harassing of members and officials of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 830.”

The union says the action taken shows commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of its workers and holds decision-makers accountable.

The city water and sewer workers have been on strike since July 29 after their contract expired on Dec. 31, 2022.

“We will not stand by while City leadership acts outside of what we believe to be proper conduct,” said Rob Howatt, President of CUPE Local 830. “Filing this injunction is just the first step; we are actively exploring every legal avenue available to defend our workers. It is our belief that the city’s intentions are aimed at intimidating our members and shutting down our strike, but we will not be silenced.”

The water and sewer staff are responsible for a range of duties including:

• maintaining the city’s water and wastewater systems
• repairing water and sewer lines
• conducting inspections and responding to water main breaks
• ensuring water supply is safe and meets Canadian Water Quality Guidelines

The union says the key issues are job security, seniority rights and fair wages. The workers are seeking a wage increase of 3.5 per cent for each year for the four years they have been without a contract.

CTV Atlantic reached out to the City of Charlottetown but have not receive a response.

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