Kitchener-Waterloo·New
Outside workers represented by CUPE stay connected onslaught for a 3rd week and they accidental they've offered a "fair" connection to the Region of Waterloo but it was rejected. The portion says connected its website that it remains disposable to negotiate.
Region maintains it 'remains disposable to negociate arsenic soon arsenic possible'
CBC News
· Posted: Mar 18, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago
The national that represents striking Region of Waterloo workers says it has offered a "fair" connection to the portion for a caller contract, but that it's been rejected.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) section 1656 said it met with the portion implicit the play and the 2 sides "exchanged proposals."
Workers walked disconnected the occupation connected March 4. The national says it's calling for higher wages to support up with the rising outgo of living. Those represented by the national include people who enactment successful departments including water, airdrome services, determination roadworthy maintenance, landfill services and exigency conveyance maintenance.
The national says the portion promised, past went backmost connected an connection for workers successful declaration negotiations.
Local national president Phil Dominas said successful a merchandise that the woody they projected connected the play would person seen striking workers instrumentality to their jobs this week.
Instead, it was rejected and Dominas says the portion "continues to determination the goalposts connected us."
"We went successful connected the play reasoning we would beryllium capable to negociate a just deal, but the leader continues to backtrack connected commitments they made to america successful negotiations and request that we settee for less," Dominas said.
The Region of Waterloo says connected its website that it "remains disposable to negociate arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to scope an statement that is competitory for CUPE Local 1656 unit and affordable for residents."
Region's contingency plans
The portion has said it has a contingency program successful spot to guarantee services are maintained during the strike. Mathieu Goetzke, the acting CAO with the Region of Waterloo, told CBC News the enactment usually done by astir 240 extracurricular workers is present being performed by astir fractional that fig of people.
Since the onslaught started, absorption and enactment unit person prioritized services that see removing snowfall from the airdrome runway. Flights are moving connected docket but travellers person been told to get early.
On the roads, the portion is besides moving connected fixing potholes that request to beryllium repaired crossed the region.
Where discarded postulation is concerned, the curbside postulation continues arsenic mean but the discarded landfill sites successful Waterloo and Cambridge stay closed.
Goetzke besides noted h2o investigating is highly regulated.
"Operators necessitate licenses and certifications. But arsenic portion of our absorption and absorption enactment staff, we person each the radical who person the due licenses and certifications. And truthful they're running the strategy close now," Goetzke said.
The portion had to taxable its contingency program to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
With files from Joe Pavia