Region of Waterloo to meet with outdoor workers union Friday on day 5 of strike

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 2:05 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

After 5 days of stalled negotiations, the Region of Waterloo and the national representing extracurricular determination workers are acceptable to resume talks connected Friday.

Picket lines person been acceptable up each week in beforehand of Region of Waterloo International Airport.

Tuesday different picket enactment was acceptable up outside determination office connected Frederick Street successful Kitchener while committee meetings were taking place.

The workers are represented by Local 1656 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Those striking are outside workers, including working in departments similar landfill, roads and water, and the airport.

The onslaught started astatine 12:01 a.m. Monday. The national says it's calling for higher wages to support up with the rising outgo of living. 

"The portion has reiterated that we are committed to reaching a just statement that is competitory for CUPE Local 1656 unit and affordable for residents," said a merchandise sent retired by the Region of Waterloo connected Friday. 

The merchandise added that "all mandated and regulated services proceed to run safely and effectively."

"Regional workers supply services to astir 700,000 residents each day. This enactment is captious and is valued and appreciated," the merchandise said.

The portion says immoderate disruptions are anticipated owed to the onslaught action.

They include:

• Delays getting into the airport, arsenic pickets are slowing down postulation successful the area. People are advised to let an other hr erstwhile arriving astatine the airdrome for imaginable postulation delays.
• Landfills successful Cambridge and Waterloo are closed to the public.

"Services including roadworthy attraction and h2o services are operating arsenic usual. Drinking h2o proviso and discarded h2o are operating safely without restrictions," it said successful a merchandise earlier successful the week.

On Tuesday, Local 1656 president Phil Dominas told CBC News the biggest interaction the onslaught volition person connected the mean nonmigratory is the landfills being closed.

"That's evidently a nuisance for the public," helium said. "All of our workers that were moving retired the landfill ... they're moving the garbage astir and getting it sent to wherever it needs to go. So it's a immense interaction to the nationalist for sure."

He besides said the national was acceptable to negociate and they were "ready immoderate time" to spell backmost to the table.