Strong majority strike vote by union representing the province's Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

TORONTO, June 28, 2024 /CNW/ - Over 95% of members of the Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO) have voted in favour of providing their union with the authorization to engage in strike action, if necessary, to achieve a fair new collective agreement. The union's strike vote attracted a very high degree of participation, with 90% of members casting a ballot.

"PEGO remains committed to the bargaining process and to representing our members' interests in good faith." said Nihar Bhatt, P.Eng., President of PEGO. "But to be frank, we have often been dismayed by the stance of the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) during these talks. While the government of Ontario is implementing massive, vital infrastructure projects that require our members' expertise, the actions of the TBS negotiating team at the bargaining table seem at odds with that provincial infrastructure agenda. Our members have spoken loudly and clearly with this strike vote. It is time for TBS representatives to engage in much more substantive bargaining."

PEGO members voted overwhelmingly in support of providing their union with the authorization to initiate and support a range of collective actions, if the union deems that doing so is needed to achieve a fair collective agreement.

PEGO would arrange a separate, second vote before a full membership-wide withdrawal of labour could take place. 

It is PEGO's hope that we can avoid any labour disruption and reach a negotiated agreement.

PEGO represents approximately 600 Professional Engineers and Ontario Land Surveyors working for the Ontario government in 11 Ontario ministries and agencies. PEGO members work on the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of some of the most important public infrastructure projects and programs in Canada.

PEGO's collective agreement with the Government of Ontario (TBS) expired December 31, 2022. Bargaining has taken place sporadically over 25 separate dates since July 2023.

"We are seeking a renewed collective agreement that more fairly values the professional skills and hard work of Ontario's professional engineers and land surveyors. And the strike vote makes it clear — our members want a contract that responds to the increased costs facing their families and that makes progress on repairing the misalignment of their incomes with the wider market for their professional skills," said Bhatt.

PEGO and Ontario's Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), which represents the provincial government in the negotiations, are discussing possible Summer dates to continue bargaining.

At this time, neither PEGO nor TBS has asked the Minister of Labour to assign a conciliation officer to the bargaining. Such a request for conciliation is one of the legal preconditions in the legal strike process as set out in the Ontario Labour Relations Act (OLRA). Thus, PEGO is not currently in a legal strike position.

"Any decisions by PEGO about engaging the conciliation process will be based on progress that we can make at the bargaining table with TBS. PEGO is committed to bargaining in good faith, and indeed we hope that a fair new collective agreement can be reached without any form of labour dispute." said Bhatt.

SOURCE Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO)

For further information: Nihar Bhatt, P.Eng. (he/him), President, Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO), Email: [email protected], Mobile: [phone], Website: www.pego.on.ca