Strike averted for thousands of Region of Waterloo public service workers
A strike has been averted for more than 1,000 of Waterloo Region's public service workers.
Just hours before a midnight deadline, a deal has been reached with one of the two unions involved and talks are being extended with another.
CUPE 1883, which represents more than 900 indoor employees, announced Friday evening it had reached a deal with the region.
CUPE 5191, which covers paramedics, has agreed to extend their talks to next week.
The unions and the region have been in talks for months.
Recently, negotiations became heated after the union accused the Region of Waterloo of union-busting when regional officials sent an email to employees saying they won't be stopped from working if they chose to cross the picket line.
According to the union, the main sticking points boil down to heavy workloads, job security and mental health concerns.
In a release issued Friday night, the indoor workers with CUPE 1883 say they have been able to find common ground on those issues. The deal for indoor workers still needs to be ratified by the membership.
“We have had a very tough round of bargaining but thanks to the solidarity among our membership, the support of our sister local CUPE 5191 and the public, we were able to secure a fair deal," union president Noelle Fletcher said in a release. "While this round of bargaining is over, our quest to improve public services in the Region of Waterloo continues.”
The paramedic group, CUPE 5191, says they have made good progress and will continue talks next week.
“Our local continued talks with the employer yesterday (after negotiations on Tuesday). We remain optimistic and committed to getting a deal done, and to avoid any interruptions of the vital service we provide to the community," union president Luke McCann said in a release. "If this momentum stalls, or our talks hit an impasse we remain prepared to consider our options, with the full support of our membership and the surrounding paramedic unions.”
Both updates mean there will be no strike this weekend.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.