City says Hamilton water is safe during strike, while union warns staffing shortfalls have had impact

As the strike by Hamilton's water and wastewater operators stretches into a third week, city officials and union leaders remain divided on the safety and sustainability of services — and on who is responsible for a recent water quality scare.

At a news briefing Wednesday, Mayor Andrea Horwath and senior city staff said residents can continue to trust the safety of their drinking water.

They emphasized that certified staff, including Level 4 superintendents, are on-site overseeing operations at the Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"Our water is safe and your city is here for you," Horwath said. "Certified professionals are on site, safety standards are being met, and regulatory monitoring continues without interruption."

Officials also addressed reports of discoloured water in Stoney Creek last week, saying it was linked to a planned maintenance project — not the ongoing labour disruption.

Director of Hamilton Water Nick Winters said the event was tied to recommissioning the city's largest water main and led to a short-term drop in pressure and discolouration for some households.

"This issue was not related to the ongoing labour disruption in any way," Winters said. "Staff responded immediately by flushing the mains and advising residents to flush internal plumbing."

Union says brown water incident was preventable

But the union representing 54 striking operators and tradespeople says that explanation doesn't hold water.

"The Dewitt Road situation, where they ran out of water and then had brown water — that was a plant error," said Greg Hoath, business manager of IUOE Local 772 and spokesperson for the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association (HOWEA). "Would it have happened if we were in there? Absolutely not."

Hoath said the union has received information from inside the facility confirming operational problems and argued that the plant is currently being run by just a handful of managers, two of whom hold the necessary certifications — a situation he calls "unsafe" and "unsustainable."

"If anybody could do the job, you wouldn't need licensed operators," he said.

Dispute deepens over stalled talks and pay parity

Hoath also pushed back on the city's claim that the union's latest offer, presented May 26, widened the gap between the two sides.

He confirmed the union added a signing bonus to help offset lost wages during the strike — a move he called standard in prolonged labour disputes — and said the city has yet to make a new counter offer.

"We made an offer. The city made no offer," he said.

The strike began on May 14. The union continues to call for internal pay parity with other city workers who, according to Hoath, hold fewer certifications but earn more.

"It's like saying an [Environmental Aide] in a hospital should make more than a [Registered Nurse, or RN] — and the RN should just accept it," he said.

In all, the ask of the union would require $300,000 from the city to "settle this strike," Hoath said. 

City officials maintain that pay comparisons across bargaining units aren't valid, citing differences in job classifications and responsibilities.

They say they're working within a financial mandate already used to settle eight of the city's 11 collective agreements this cycle.

Labour council backs striking workers

The Hamilton and District Labour Council issued a statement Thursday backing IUOE Local 772 and accusing the city of "stonewalling meaningful negotiations."

"There is no realistic, responsible, or safe way to run a city of this size without these licensed professionals on the job," said council president Anthony Marco.

The labour council says the union's demand amounts to just 0.01 per cent of the city's annual budget. "When a city with nearly $3 billion in annual spending can't find $300,000 to protect the people who safeguard our water, we don't have a budget problem — we have a values problem," Marco said.

Striking workers brought their picket line to Hamilton's Mountain Transit Terminal early Thursday, causing transit delays of up to two to three hours, according to the union that represents the city's transit workers.

The city says the disruptions are beyond its control.

Operators represented by ATU Local 107 are not on strike but say they will not cross IUOE picket lines. "We will respect their strike lines," said ATU president Eric Tuck, who urged the city to return to the bargaining table.

Progress on training delays, but union warns risks remain

Both sides agree there's been some progress on one of the union's longstanding concerns — the time it takes for workers to reach the top pay grade.

The union says in some cases it can take up to a decade, not due to lack of certification but because of a lack of opportunities to get required training.

"We've made tremendous headway on that," Hoath said. "But our members are still being held back through no fault of their own."

City staff say they are prepared to continue running critical water infrastructure for as long as necessary using redeployed staff and contractors. However, they acknowledge that some long-term work — like engineering studies and capital planning — have been paused.

Meanwhile, the union says public trust in the water system is at stake.

"This is a public health issue and an environmental issue," said Hoath. "One mistake can cause damage that's hard — if not impossible — to undo."