Ontario government engineers to withdraw services from Highway 413, Bradford Bypass

Signage for newly-announced Highway 413 is seen during a news conference in Caledon, Ont., Tuesday, April 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

A group of professional engineers plan to soon withdraw services from key Ontario infrastructure projects Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass as part of a bargaining dispute with the province.

Members of the Professional Engineers Government of Ontario, which represents more than 600 professional engineers and land surveyors who work for the province, started a work-to-rule campaign earlier this month.

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Members’ earnings have fallen so far behind that they sometimes earn half of what people in similar positions at municipalities make, their bargaining association said. They are behind the market by 30 to 50 per cent, said president Nihar Bhatt.

So far no meaningful progress has been made in bargaining with the Treasury Board Secretariat even though the engineers have been without a contract for 20 months, Bhatt said. He did not give a specific percentage increase he is looking for but said it is "significant."

"This bargaining is just the culmination of a decade long of talks on this issue, and suddenly, when they realize how far behind the market they are, they're like, 'Oh, these numbers are, like, really big,'" Bhatt said.

"Yeah, they are because you ignored it for a decade, and this is where we are. So that's the problem and the infrastructure agenda of the province, whether it be new stuff or existing, both need to be overseen by people who know what they're doing."

The engineers have been engaging in a work-to-rule campaign, which includes not doing unpaid overtime or working outside of their set hours, but will now be escalating their job action.

Starting in the next few days, a small group of engineers will stop working on the two highway projects that are loudly championed by Premier Doug Ford.

"So right now, the impacts are gonna be felt in the planning and design stages of the projects, which is where both 413 and Bradford Bypass are at," Bhatt said.

"There are some major milestones coming up in the next few weeks which should impact projects in the long run."

A spokesperson for Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney said the government has held numerous bargaining sessions with PEGO since July 2023.

"The government has been negotiating in good faith and will continue to do so," Liz Tuomi said in a statement, adding that all ministries have continuity plans in case of labour action.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.