Resolution or Revolution? The Water Pressure is High.

As The Hamiltonian has been covering the ongoing labour disruption involving the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association (HOWEA), it is important to provide clarity regarding who is responding to what.

On June 12, 2025, we published a piece entitled Water Fight, which can be found by clicking here.

Today, in response to a request for comment that we made to City Manager Marnie Cluckie, we received the following statement, which we have been asked to attribute more broadly to the City of Hamilton:

"Thank you for your inquiry. Our response is captured in the The City Manager’s statement shared on June 12, 2025. We remain open to returning to the bargaining table with HOWEA.

If you would like more information, please visit our website at https://www.hamilton.ca/city-council/howea-labour-disruption-updates.

The City Manager and other management are available for further conversation if needed."

On June 18, The Hamiltonian published its own view on what a fair solution to the strike might be. That piece can be found by clicking here.  We shared this link with all members of City Council, the Mayor, the City Manager, and Greg Hoath, Business Manager of the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association (HOWEA).

Following that, Greg Hoath responded to The Hamiltonian’s view. In an email sent to The Hamiltonian—copied to all members of City Council, the Mayor, and the City Manager—he wrote:

"Hamiltonian

The IUOE Local 772 couldn’t agree more with your analysis. Pay Equity is not simply a gender based equity but extends to injustice in wage rates where qualifications, skills and certification requirements are in question.

The City can maintain its integrity of pattern bargaining to achieve what it perceives as fiscal responsibility while addressing the pay equity for 54 water & wastewater employees.

The labour disruption should never happened and wasting taxpayers dollars needs to end. Provide the parity in the first year and return the employees to work.

We thank the Hamiltonian for its continuing interest and thoughtful independent analysis.

Regards
Greg Hoath
Business Manager IUOE 772

It would therefore appear that one side in this dispute finds The Hamiltonian’s view agreeable. The question remains: Does the City of Hamilton?

As the City’s latest release (quoted above) closes with: “The City Manager and other management are available for further conversation if needed,” The Hamiltonian will  ask City Manager Marnie Cluckie to indicate whether the City is willing to consider the path to resolution espoused in The Hamiltonian’s view.

To be very clear: The Hamiltonian is taking no side in this matter. Our view was clinical, carefully considered, and rooted in fairness. The only side we are on is that of everyday Hamiltonians!

Stay tuned...We will publish the response we receive.

Update: Here is a response received June 20 @ 8:25pm from Greg Hoath

"The IUOE Local 772 is always prepared to return to bargaining. However, there is only one issue, equal pay for equal work. Base rate for operators $41.35 the same as other similar positions in the City of Hamilton and $44.50 for Instrumentation Techs, Electricians and Millwrights the same as the City trades. Pay equity is not just gender based but also qualification based.

As a born and bred Hamiltonian and long time taxpayer, I am irate at the willingness of the City Manager Cluckie and Mayor Horwath and council, to waste excessive taxpayers dollars on an unnecessary labour disruption. The cost to date is likely double the settlement. We believe the City should disclose the costs and be accountable, not retreat, hide and act like cowards. 

We need to return to work with fairness, end the 20 years of injustice, award parity and end the taxpayer waste Mayor Horwath and City Manager Cluckie."