After more than 4 months of bargaining, including sessions with a Ministry-appointed Conciliator, Society-represented safety professionals at the Electrical Safety Authority have been forced on strike. Our members have now been walking picket lines in Mississauga and Cambridge since Wednesday, September 20.
We are disappointed that the management at the Electrical Safety Authority have forced us into this position.
This is the first time that the Society members have been forced on strike since 2005, and is only the second strike in our union’s history. The Society is proud of our record at the bargaining table and very disappointed that management at ESA has put us in this position.
Since 2010, our members have been falling behind relative to the rising cost of living and relative to other represented employees at the Electrical Safety Authority. Our members have been looking for an equitable deal that addresses this issue. Make no mistake, these professionals do critical work protecting the safety of Ontarians, and they should not be made to be second-class employees at the ESA.
We know that there will be impacts to Ontarians if the employer decides to drag this out. The absence of our members will make it difficult for the Electrical Safety Authority to perform its mandated responsibilities. The safety of all electrical infrastructure relies heavily on the professional workers at the ESA.
We do not want to be on strike. We are safety professionals who want to be doing our jobs protecting public safety and supporting the electrification of Ontario’s economy.
