Despite water pressure and quality complaints that emerged from residents as Hamilton water and wastewater workers completed their first month on strike, a review by ministry officials has found no issues with regulatory compliance or threats to public safety.
The 55 Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association (HOWEA) members on strike have been unable to reach a deal with city officials following issues with pay and delays in training that impact workers reaching higher pay grades.
Not long after the workers went on strike on May 14, a move that followed six months of stalled negotiations, complaints began to roll in about potential odours, as well as concerns about water pressure and quality. The complaints largely emerged from Hamilton’s Ward 10 area in Stoney Creek. In total, just six low pressure complaints and four water quality complaints were reported, according to city officials. City staff said they responded to these reports by flushing local water mains.
“To all residents in Hamilton: please know that your water remains safe and essential services are being delivered,” Hamilton City Manager Marnie Cluckie said in a statement on June 16.
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The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) review began over what the City of Hamilton has described as “misinformation” that circulated during the ongoing labour disruption.
Cluckie stated that the misinformation could, in part, be attributed to workers on the picket line.
“We respect the union’s legal right to strike and protest peacefully,” she said. “However, I am concerned about recent reports of behaviour on the picket lines, and especially about misinformation being spread in the community — particularly around water safety.”
Hamilton officials noted that concerns over water pressure and discoloration are likely linked to planned maintenance and have no connection to the HOWEA strike.
The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 772 has posted images on Facebook related to water discoloration and water main breaks. It has also disputed that any water issues were related to planned maintenance and instead suggested that the cause was likely un-monitored water reservoir levels and elevated station temperatures.
Hamilton Water Director of Public Works, Nick Winters, said in a statement that the water level at the Dewitt/Ben Nevis Reservoir was the result of a recommissioning plan for Hamilton’s largest water transmission main and “could not have been prevented by the staff operating the Woodward Water Treatment Plant.”
Winters added that water quality complaints were due to a “sudden drop in water pressure that mobilized sediment which naturally accumulates in water mains and private plumbing pipes.”
Cluckie noted in a statement that the recent offer made to the HOWEA membership is “consistent with the agreements reached with eight of the city’s 11 bargaining units, representing more than 6,000 employees.”
The offer on the table would deliver first-year wage increases of up to 6–10% for most employees, averaging 4.72% for HOWEA members. The deal also makes it easier and quicker for employees to reach the top of their pay band, Cluckie said. Additionally, there would be increased pay for certifications and specialized skills, as well as expanded mental health and vision care coverage.
Cluckie said that the union’s latest proposal included an ask for a greater increase to the new wage schedule, “moving further away from the framework and further outside the city’s established mandate.”
The water and wastewater workers say they are asking for a pay increase that reflects the fact that they are required to earn four Level 3 certifications, while some other operations staff, such as distribution and collection workers, are paid about $1.35 an hour more and only required to have one Level 1 certification.
