Region of Waterloo to meet with outdoor workers union Friday on day 5 of strike
CBC News | Posted: March 7, 2025 7:05 PM | Last Updated: March 7
Union says it's calling for higher wages to keep up with rising cost of living
After five days of stalled negotiations, the Region of Waterloo and the union representing outside regional workers are set to resume talks on Friday.
Picket lines have been set up all week in front of Region of Waterloo International Airport.
Tuesday another picket line was set up outside regional headquarters on Frederick Street in Kitchener while committee meetings were taking place.
The workers are represented by Local 1656 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Those striking are outside workers, including working in departments like landfill, roads and water, and the airport.
The strike started at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The union says it's calling for higher wages to keep up with the rising cost of living.
"The region has reiterated that we are committed to reaching a fair agreement that is competitive for CUPE Local 1656 staff and affordable for residents," said a release sent out by the Region of Waterloo on Friday.
The release added that "all mandated and regulated services continue to operate safely and effectively."
"Regional workers provide services to almost 700,000 residents every day. This work is critical and is valued and appreciated," the release said.
The region says some disruptions are anticipated due to the strike action.
They include:
- Delays getting into the airport, as pickets are slowing down traffic in the area. People are advised to allow an extra hour when arriving at the airport for potential traffic delays.
- Landfills in Cambridge and Waterloo are closed to the public.
"Services including road maintenance and water services are operating as usual. Drinking water supply and waste water are operating safely without restrictions," it said in a release earlier in the week.
On Tuesday, Local 1656 president Phil Dominas told CBC News the biggest impact the strike will have on the average resident is the landfills being closed.
"That's obviously a nuisance for the public," he said. "All of our workers that were working out the landfill ... they're moving the garbage around and getting it sent to where it needs to go. So it's a huge impact to the public for sure."
He also said the union was ready to negotiate and they were "ready any time" to go back to the table.