TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2018 — The Power Workers’ Union (PWU) is disappointed with the proposed changes to the Labour Relations Act,
1995 that undermine the current round of bargaining between Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the PWU.
“Our union has a proven track record of negotiating fair and responsible employment agreements. Our priority has always been the strength
and health of Ontario’s electricity sector. This is reflected in how we negotiate for our membership and in our public statements about
energy issues affecting the people of Ontario,” said PWU President Mel Hyatt.
Negotiations began with OPG January 2018 with the current contract expiring on March 31, 2018. OPG’s continued refusal to grant the
rights of full-time workers to over 300 term workers at the Pickering and Darlington stations remained the outstanding issue. OPG’s final
offer remained unchanged from the previous offer which was rejected at 59.8% by our membership who had clearly expressed their
position in the previous strike vote. This should have been taken more seriously by OPG.
“These highly-trained and skilled term workers have not been treated fairly or responsibly by OPG,” said PWU president, Mel Hyatt. “These
dedicated men and women, like all our membership, are the backbone of Ontario’s reliable electricity system. They are critical to the
success of OPG’s performance; providing safe, clean and reliable electricity for the people of Ontario. Since the PWU initiated the current
job action in response to OPG’s last offer, our members have acted professionally and responsibly to ensure the energy needs of the
people of Ontario are met,” concluded Mr. Hyatt.
The PWU supports free collective bargaining as a fundamental right of all workers and as the best process for achieving fair and balanced
agreements. The PWU remains committed to public safety, continuing to meet the electricity needs of the people of Ontario, and helping to
keep Ontario’s lights on for decades to come.
Media Contact: Paul Reece, Chief of Staff
Communications Department
Julianne Vondrejs
[email protected]
416-520-1187
