Canadian strike agreement

About 2,000 crane and heavy equipment operators in Ontario, Canada went on a week-long strike in May over a wage dispute.

Construction work throughout the province was delayed until Local 793, a branch of the International Union of Operating Engineers, came to a tentative agreement with employers on 29 May.

Workers started returning to their jobsites on 30 May.

Union leade r s c a ll ed the strike after workers on industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction projects were offered wage increases of less than 3% over the next three years - despite forecasts of an expanding economy and the need for more crane operators.

Mike Gallagher, Local 793 business manager, said, “The negotiating committee has succeeded in reaching a successful memorandum of settlement. I am optimistic that Local 793 operators will approve the settlement at upcoming ratifications meetings that will be held at various locations across the province.”

Gallagher said he would not be releasing any details of the settlement until after the ratification vote was held.

Local 793 is a provincial building trade union and represents approximately 10,000 construction and industrial workers in Ontario.

At the time IC went to press letters were due to be sent out to union members informing them of the meetings.