‘It was a long 8 weeks’: City of Hamilton and striking water employees reach tentative agreement

Over the past two months the Hamilton Water Employees Association have been on strike regarding their current contract. The main issue being pay parity with other city workers across the board.

Workers took their message to city hall, disrupted Hamilton city bus service, a state of the city lunch in Hamilton and a public picket outside the Woodward Avenue wastewater treatment plant.

Greg Hoath, the Business Manager of Local 772 apologizes for the disruptions but maintains it was necessary to get the city’s attention to reach this deal. He says there’s now a snag in the process.

“I’m getting calls, it certainly doesn’t help the ratification process. all it’s done is angered the membership,” says Hoath.

“I’m very pleased that the City of Hamilton has reached a tentative agreement with the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association. This is an important step toward restoring full services for residents, and supporting the workers who keep our city running every day,” the City of Hamilton said in a statement regarding the end of the strike released Tuesday morning.

But, Hoath is disappointed in statements further made in the release.

“These past eight weeks have been difficult on our employees, their families and the community we serve,” City Manager Marnie Cluckie says in the release.

“Thank you for stepping up and taking on additional duties, ensuring that essential water, wastewater and storm water services to our community continued without interruption,” was the quote from acting Public Works General Manager Jackie Kenedy.

Hoath says it would have been better if they just stated the parties reached a tentative agreement.

“They praised those that did the jobs while we were on the street,” Hoath says.

He says the city statements have angered his membership and will make things difficult when they meet Wednesday morning to vote on whether or not to accept the deal.

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