An Ontario labour tribunal has concluded the Ford government did not illegally lock out striking engineers when it warned some they could not return to work until a new collective agreement was signed or the province gave them permission.
The union representing striking government engineers had complained on Nov. 2 that the province had effectively locked out members who had withdrawn their labour from key projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
In a decision released Wednesday, the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled it was “not satisfied that the (province) unlawfully locked out any bargaining unit employees or that it threatened to unlawfully lock out any bargaining unit employees.”
The government said in a statement on Friday that it was still working to come to an agreement with the engineering union, which has been without a contract for almost two years.
“We continue to focus on reaching a fair agreement that recognizes the specialized role of PEGO employees,” a spokesperson for Ontario’s Treasury Board wrote.
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The Professional Engineers Government of Ontario union and the Ford government have been engaged in an increasingly tense battle over a new contract.
The union has said that the offers from the government have fallen well short of its expectations and has raised concerns its members are leaving for the private sector and agencies like Metrolinx where the pay is better.
The government has repeatedly said it is offering the union a fair deal and continues to work on solutions.
The dispute escalated through the fall as PEGO, whose members work on everything from air quality testing to managing highways, began to withdraw their services.
Specifically, the union said it had removed major technical engineers it represents from key government infrastructure projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
The move, the union said, would delay the delivery of the key infrastructure projects and is designed to draw attention to the almost two years its members have been without a contract.
Nihar Bhatt, president of PEGO, said he hoped the two parties were nearing a deal through a negotiator, after talks at the beginning of December.
“We’re a little bit apart on our salary issue — it’s a very small amount,” he told Global News.
“We believe we’ve moved significantly towards them and it’s time for them to see if they can move towards us. We’ve closed the gap, we’ve worked very hard with them and with the mediator to get close to a deal.”
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