Union prepared to continue to strike until Region of Waterloo brings back ‘original offer’

The strike by some Region of Waterloo workers continues. CTV’s Colton Wiens gets an update on the job action.

Over 200 Region of Waterloo employees don’t plan on ending their strike until they get what they call is a fair deal.

CUPE Local 1656 workers in road maintenance, landfill services, airport employees, clean water treatment and emergency vehicle repair walked off the job on March 3.

According to the union, the Region of Waterloo gave an offer that they were ready to take to their membership, but then it followed up with an email rescinding that offer.

“They gave us an offer that we were so close to agreeing to. We thought it was something good that we could bring to the membership. I guess that the very next day, they literally just pulled it away through an email. It wasn’t even a phone call. It wasn’t bringing anybody in to the table. It was literally just, ‘hey, by the way, we can’t offer this what we’ve just proposed to you,’” said Phil Dominas, President of CUPE Local 1656. “Maybe it was a mathematical error. Maybe it was an honest error. Maybe it was real. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. They took it away from us that we thought we could have provided something to our membership. And it’s put us into no other option but to be here today.”

CUPE rallied outside Region of Waterloo headquarters on Thursday. Members told CTV News the original offer still had workers below the rate of inflation, but it would have allowed them to come close to being able to compete with others in the region.

“They need to be clear that they’re willing to restore their original wage offer. That offer, as you might have seen by some of the charts, still has these workers below the rate of inflation, but it allows them to come close to being able to compete with others in this region. And it makes sure the region will be able to attract and retain workers. Anything less simply doesn’t work, not only for these workers, but it won’t work for the people of this region,” said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario.

CUPE said after the first offer was rescinded, the region sent a follow up offer that was half the wage increase of the original

“The offer that they had pulled away from us, compared to the final offer that was proposed to us, was literally cut in half of what we thought we could work with and bring to the membership,” Dominas said.

Dominas said they won’t return to the bargaining table until the original offer is brought back.

“We have lots of support, lots of outreach from other locals within CUPE, within labour council. The support is endless. It keeps flowing in. The public is in support of us. So again, we’re here for the long haul. So, if Karen Redman wants us to go back to work, come back to us, bring that offer back and we’ll be right back to work,” Dominas said.

“We’re willing to go as long as it takes. In my personal opinion, I could at least do to the end of the year,” Alberto Pompilio, a CUPE Local 1656 member said.

The waste management centres in Waterloo and Cambridge have closed to residential and commercial customers during the strike. CUPE members have been picketing around the community, including outside the Region of Waterloo airport. Dominas said multiple members picketing have been hit by vehicles, and they ask the public for patience.

“There was multiple people that have already been hit. We’re up to probably 7 or 8 individuals by this time now that we’ve been here. So we ask for the public, we ask for the residents of Waterloo and outside residents coming in to travel within the airport, or wherever we’re picketing, please respect us. Please be patient with us,” Dominas said.

The Region of Waterloo did not make anyone available for an interview but told CTV News in an email: “The Region of Waterloo and members of CUPE Local 1656 met most recently last Friday afternoon. At that meeting, the Region provided a revised proposal to CUPE Local 1656.”

“The Region remains available to continue negotiations as soon as possible to secure an agreement that is fair for CUPE 1656 members and affordable for residents,” the email added.

Dominas told CTV News that Friday meeting was a virtual call with the region. He said the region asked what needed to happen to get them back to the bargaining table, but no date or time was set for any negotiations.