Ottawa, Ontario - June 28, 2023 - As of 12:01 a.m. on June 28, 2023, Hydro Ottawa employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) began strike action. The collective agreement with the IBEW expired on March 31, 2023.
Hydro Ottawa provided its IBEW-represented employees with fair and very competitive offers that exceed industry norms, and that has both employees’ and customers’ best interest in mind, including its impact on electricity rates.
The utility has activated its contingency plan to continue to maintain essential service to its customers and community. Additional resources are ready to support any power outage restoration efforts and respond to issues as safely and as quickly as possible. For a list of impacted services, please visit hydroottawa.com/labour.
“Hydro Ottawa values and appreciates the hard work and dedication of all of our employees. Since I've been at this company I've operated with an open door policy, this situation is no different. I encourage the IBEW to come back to the table to discuss their concerns - actually I welcome that and look forward to the discussion.”, reiterated Bryce Conrad, President and CEO. “Hydro Ottawa has initiated our plan to maintain service to our customers while making every effort to minimize the impact of any disruption on the customers we serve.”
Quick facts:
- Hydro Ottawa and IBEW negotiations began on March 20, 2023. The collective agreement for employees represented by the IBEW expired on March 31, 2023. On May 25, 2023 the Employer provided the union with a final offer. The offer was presented by the IBEW to employees, followed by a ratification/strike vote on May 31, 2023. IBEW members voted to reject the offer and provided the IBEW with a strike mandate.
- Hydro Ottawa provided a revised offer on June 22, 2023. The offer was presented by the IBEW to employees, followed by a ratification/strike vote on June 27, 2023. IBEW members voted to reject the offer and commence strike action.
- Hydro Ottawa provided fair and very competitive offers especially when comparing settlement trends within our industry, and with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), including a cumulative increase in wages of 13.6 percent over four years.
- As an essential service, Hydro Ottawa has activated its contingency plan to continue to maintain service to its customers and our community. The utility is committed to making every effort to minimize the impact of the labour disruption on its customers and partners.
- The lines of communication between Hydro Ottawa and the IBEW remain open.
- The IBEW represents approximately 390 Hydro Ottawa employees.
Media Contact
Josée Larocque
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345