Strike by Region of Waterloo outside workers officially over

An almost four-week strike by outside workers for the Region of Waterloo is now officially over.

A tentative deal between the union representing the just over 200 outside workers and the region, was made on Wednesday.

On Thursday, members of CUPE Local 1656 voted in favour of accepting the agreement.

“This agreement makes gains for our members and will help to address the pressures our members have been facing due to inflation and the increasing cost of living,” said CUPE Local 1656 President Phil Dominas in a release. “Our members are focused on moving forward and getting back to work.” 

The deal was also ratified by regional council on Friday.

“On behalf of Regional Council, I want to express our gratitude to the teams that worked diligently over the past number of weeks,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman in a release. “We look forward to welcoming all employees back to work. They are part of the Region team and they provide services that we know our community depends on.”

Outside workers are set to return to work in the coming days and a union spokesperson confirmed there will be no further pickets.

Picketers causing transit delays

Grand River Transit (GRT) sent out a service alert Friday morning, which said that picket lines remained up at the Northfield Maintenance Facility and Cambridge Transit Operations Centre on Conestoga Boulevard.

A follow up post from GRT asked riders to be patient with bus drivers. “We understand that this situation is frustrating, but please be patient with our operators, who are doing their best to get service back on schedule.”

The union representing those GRT workers posted a statement sympathizing with the frustration of transit riders but also asking for patience.

“Unifor Local 4304 members are proud to serve the community of Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge,” said President Heath Abbott, “We ask that our ridership be compassionate for the transit workers who are also inconvenienced while CUPE members fight for a fair collective agreement from the Region of Waterloo.”

A statement from Regional Chair Karen Redman said she is “deeply disappointed” by the picket lines at transit hubs.

“Despite a tentative agreement, their picketing caused unnecessary chaos-cancelling and delaying bus trips that residents rely on. Workers were left stranded, students struggled to get to class, and some may have even missed critical medical appointments.”

Redman urged leadership of the local union to think twice about the picketing.

“This deliberate disruption undermines respectful negotiations. More than that, it shows a clear disregard for the residents who depend on these services and the dedicated Regional staff working to provide them.”

The tentative offer on Wednesday and deal ratification on Friday came after nearly a month of job action.

The strike saw demonstrations and picket lines pop up across Waterloo Region, including at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

Waste management centres in Cambridge and Waterloo also closed but will reopen to the public Saturday, March 29.