15000 residential construction workers go on strike over wages and workers' rights. This strike by the workers was the biggest in 20 years and this might have had a huge impact on the construction of ground and high-rise buildings in the Toronto Area.
On Sunday, May 1st workers in GTA were covered by the labourers ' international union of North America local 183 went on strike and announced that workers were forced to go on strike. Multiple construction industry sector members refused the settlement which was proposed to them. Among members from different industry sectors included workers in high rise forming, house framing, installation of tiles forming, rail installation, self-leveling flooring, and hardwood installation were in this matter. This may result in affecting the process of Ground related and high rise residential projects in GTA.
Due to the rising costs of living in Ontario, they have demanded fair compensation and a good amount of wages for its components. The workers of the residential sector in GTA deserve the fair compensation that they are demanding and their contribution and hard work reflect in the construction industry. The residential sector is one of the most demanded industries in the Great Toronto Area and other parts of Ontario and will continue to be in most in and for upcoming years. Thus in a press release LiUNA local 183 business Manager, Jack Oliveira said that their members work hard and are critical to building housing across the GTA. He further said that they are ready to come back for work but they just want to get their den and fulfilled and they want the contractors Association to provide their members with fair wages and compensation and accept a fair proposal that appreciates their members and for what they do.
(RESCON )Richard Lyall, president of the Residential construction council of Ontario, a representation of residential builders, said that this strike is the most crucial that the sector has faced in around two years. According to him, in the residential construction sector, there are around 30z agreements and all collective bargaining expired on 30th April in The GTA. Many collective agreements have been settled or have achieved an uncertain agreement or some are still waiting for a fair agreement between the parties. LiUNA Local 183 has notified RESCON that its members have not accepted the proposals of settlements and go on a strike in the GTA and the other parts of Ontario.
Richard Lyall, president of RESCON, is hoping to resolve this problem with the striking units in the next few weeks. Because according to him, the longer they strike, the more housing projects will be kept pending and the work will stop. Because of the workers who are skilled and are on strike, the other works are held up and cannot be processed further before completing the earlier one. The process of constructing a building is defined to be performed by different workers and so when they are on strike the others have to wait until these things have been resolved.
RESCON mentioned that another union local representative of operative engineers has also denied and rejected a new collective agreement. It could affect excavation and other construction activities in the resident's sector. But the province is urging them to resolve the settlement between both parties. The Ontario minister of labour stated in the press that they are encouraging the employers and the unions to make every effort on resolving their agreement at the bargaining table and they are pretty confident that by working together, both the parties can reach a settlement and resolve this issue.
