Waterloo Regional landfills closed as strike begins

People planning to a visit to local landfills and the Region of Waterloo airport may have to adjust their plans. CTV’s Krista Simpson reports.

Approximately 240 outdoor workers at the Region of Waterloo are on strike.

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 1656 hit the picket line Monday morning after they couldn’t come to terms with the Region of Waterloo during contract negotiations.

The union represents people who work in road maintenance, landfill services, airport services, clean water treatment services and emergency vehicle repair.

CUPE 1656 Chief Steward Mike Hepditch said wages were the sticking point in negotiations.

“We’re asking for a little bump to get us closer to our comparators in the market,” Hepditch told CTV News.

Workers picketed in front of the Region of Waterloo International airport on Monday, delaying vehicles as they drove in.

Smaller pickets were also held outside the Regional Operations Centre in Cambridge and the Waste Management Centre in Waterloo.

The Region of Waterloo says it is trying to minimize disruption to residents during the strike, and all mandated and regulated services continue. However, the waste management centres in Waterloo and Cambridge have closed to residential and commercial customers.

Impact at the Waste Management Centres

Hepditch says a number of CUPE 1656 members work at the landfill, most of them heavy equipment operators.

“They’re the ones when the garbage trucks come in or the public comes in to drop off their waste, they’re moving those bins to the hill,” Hepditch explained.

Waterloo’s landfill and recycling centre is now closed to the public during the strike, as is the Cambridge Waste Management Centre.

It’s a hassle for Dave Barker from Stone Gate Home & Bathroom Renovations, who is working on a bathroom renovation at a home in Wellesley.

“I’m not a fan of leaving garbage at someone’s house. If I would have known I would have got a bin on site, which is more expensive,” he told CTV News.

He said with the Waterloo landfill closed, he’ll have to go to the Stratford one instead.

Curbside garbage collection, which is contracted out, continues during the strike.

Pickets at the Region of Waterloo International Airport

About 20 union members work at the airport, according to Hepditch.

“They do everything from snow removal on the runways in the wintertime, grass cutting, animal control,” he said. “They do the emergency response through our aircraft rescue firefighting program as well as medical response for any injuries and/or health concerns at the airport.”

Picketers were delaying vehicles as they entered the airport from Fountain Street on Monday.

The Region is suggesting travellers give themselves an extra hour when heading to the airport, but otherwise the airport remains open and operating as usual. There are no flight delays expected due to the strike.

No further negotiation dates set

The union says efforts to reach a deal with the Region began back in the fall and continued up until the weekend, but they were unable to reach an agreement.

The union is also accusing the region of negotiating in bad faith.

“The employer at one point offered us a deal that we thought, you know, ‘This might be great for our membership.’ Before we had a chance to bring it back, less than 8 hours later, they sent us an email - not even a phone call - to say, ‘You know what, that offer is off the table.’ They came back with less than half of that offer,” Hepditch said.

The Region of Waterloo declined to comment on the allegation, and they did not speak with CTV News on Monday about the strike.

However, in a news release, they say ,“The Region remains available to negotiate as soon as possible to reach an agreement that is competitive for CUPE Local 1656 staff and affordable for residents.”

The union said they are willing to get back to the negotiating table, but so far no further dates for discussions have been set.