Point Edward – On Wednesday September 28, 2016, workers employed at Blue Water Bridge, which is owned by the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited, voted overwhelmingly for strike action should their employer not return to the bargaining table.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents these workers held a strike vote after entering the 21-day cooling period mandated under the Canada Labour Code while in conciliation.
“We were hoping that we could come to an agreement before the end of this cooling off period”, states Paul Haney, Local President. “This has been a tremendously difficult round of bargaining, as our employer has barely met with us over the past year to resolve our issues”.
At the end of this cooling off period both parties will be in a legal strike or lock-out position as of October 6, 2016.
“This is the second busiest border crossing in Canada, with thousands of vehicles crossing every day”, says Sharon DeSousa, PSAC Ontario Regional Executive Vice-President. “The Federal Bridge Corporation should be trying to resolve their workers’ issues and treating them fairly, instead of putting their operations in jeopardy”.
For more information or to book interviews, please contact:
Lino Vieira, Political Communications Officer, vieiral@psac-afpc.com or 416-577-0238
Background: There are 47 workers employed at Blue Water Bridge in four main departments; cleaners, toll collectors, maintenance and currency exchange. The last collective agreement expired on November 7, 2014. The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) is responsible for four international bridges, including Blue Water Bridge. The FBCL is a Crown corporation that reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Transport.