HawthorneVillager.com

Reported by Canadian Press at 12 p.m. June 4th... does this affect home construction too? And has there been any sign of this in Milton?

Article mentions it affecting "hospital projects, as well as construction at Queen's University, CFB Trenton and a new Kellogg plant and Wal-Mart in Belleville."?

And though it claims to halt "projects across Ontario", the locations they specify seem confined to eastern Ontario.


Construction workers walk off the job, halting projects across Ontario
BELLEVILLE, Ont. (CP) - Construction workers across Ontario have walked off the job after the group representing their employers failed to come to an agreement.

"It affects the whole province, from Kenora to Ottawa," said Patrick Little of the Labourers' International Union. He says internal problems within an association of their employers has left the union without an agreement for the past month.

The labourers prepare excavations, assist with cement and masonry work and do paving and traffic control.

"If we're not given a wage offer like every other trade has in the province so far, we won't be going back to work," Little said.

Eastern Ontario representative Victor Claro said the move was not specifically timed to follow a strike by Belleville crane and heavy equipment operators which was resolved Wednesday.

In his district, Claro said the strike is expected to affect hospital projects, as well as construction at Queen's University, CFB Trenton and a new Kellogg plant and Wal-Mart in Belleville.

Should the internal dispute be resolved Monday during their provincial meeting, he said his union could be negotiating as early as Tuesday.

According to Little, the union has planned pickets for Monday only, but will reinstate them if they find out their jobs are being performed by other workers.

"If work is being performed by another trade, we will put the picket lines back up," he said.

"We're now waiting for the contractors to get over their problems and call us back to the bargaining table."