CaDCR staff writer
The ongoing strike by engineers employed by the Ontario government is intensifying, with a number of major highway projects now stalled.
The Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO) has removed its members from additional infrastructure projects, including bridge repairs and lane expansions on Highway 401, amid a protracted contract dispute with the provincial government.
The strike, which began in October is the result of ongoing negotiations between PEGO and the provincial government over wage disparities. The union argues its members are paid significantly less than their counterparts in the private sector and at Crown corporations such as Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario.
In its latest move, PEGO has escalated its action by withdrawing engineers from the following projects:
- Highway 401 bridge replacements and widening in Durham
- Highway 11 twinning pilot project north of North Bay
- Highway 3 expansion in Essex County
- Highway 401 Lauzon Parkway improvements
- Highway 401 widening near Kingston
- Highway 401 widening in London
- Highway 7 widening from Kitchener to Guelph
- Highway 3 twinning near St. Thomas for Volkswagen battery plant development
The union previously pulled engineers from the Highway 413 and Bradford Bypass projects and. has warned that without its engineers, construction on these and other major projects will face significant delays.
PEGO President Nihar Batt emphasized that the job action is being coordinated to avoid compromising safety on active projects. “Our members are essential to the delivery of Ontario’s infrastructure projects,” Batt said. “The significant wage gap between our members and others in the sector puts the province’s ability to deliver its infrastructure goals at risk.”
Bargaining between the union and the government resumed Nov. 15 and 16, but the two sides remain far apart. While PEGO reports “modest progress,” no agreement has been reached, and the union has been without a contract for 22 months.
The Ontario Treasury Board, which is leading negotiations, maintains that the government has made reasonable offers, saying the government “has been negotiating in good faith and will continue to do so.” A spokesperson added that all ministries, including transportation, have contingency plans in place to manage disruptions.
