Hydro Ottawa IBEW Employees Initiate Strike Action

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.

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.

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.
• The offer included 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.

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