Email Request to the City of Hamilton

Sent yesterday at 11:53pm, Copied to Ms. Cluckie, Mr. McMullen who is  covering for Mr. Zegaric and Ms. McCormick

Mr. Zegarac,

I am writing on behalf of The Hamiltonian regarding the ongoing strike involving water workers.

We request a breakdown of the total costs the city has incurred to date as a result of this strike, including both hard and soft costs. Specifically, we seek to understand the full financial impact, which should encompass, but not be limited to, expenditures related to hiring external services to ensure that management or replacement employees can cross picket lines and access water facilities.

To clarify, we are asking for a comprehensive figure that represents the total costs the city has borne in connection with both the strike itself and its management.

We must note that this question has been posed previously without a response. As Hamiltonians are the primary stakeholders of these public funds, they are entitled to transparency on this matter. Given the protracted nature of this strike and the time that has passed without resolution, we believe it is imperative that this information be made available to the public.

We would appreciate it if you could provide a detailed report of the total costs incurred, along with a clear breakdown of those expenses, by Thursday, July 10.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
The Hamiltonian

A Message to Hamiltonians and the City of Hamilton from Water Worker on Strike

The following message was conveyed too The Hamiltonian from Chris Boliard; a member of HOWEA. It is presented as received. 

I am a member of HOWEA and IUOE 772. A department has been upended and irreparable damage has been done to our Hamilton Water team for no reason by the City of Hamilton. The water workers strike in Hamilton will be entering its 8th week soon. Negotiations have all but ceased and the City of Hamilton does not seem eager to get back to the table. 

It seems as though the city is waiting until they inflict enough financial hardship on the striking members until we can't fight financially any longer. This is union breaking behaviour and bad faith bargaining. I have worked for the City of Hamilton as an operator for 19 years as the lead operator at the water treatment plant. As a steward of the environment, I have been a hard and diligent worker which would be echoed by my supervising staff. As of today our voices have been silenced at every turn by the City of Hamilton demoralizing our legal efforts to picket and gain attention and pressure on the City of Hamilton.
I ask you to help pressure the City of Hamilton to answer some simple questions. This can be done through FOI REQUESTS for the following information.

GOOD FAITH BARGAINING
- What specific measures is the city taking to ensure that negotiations are fair and equitable?
- How does the city plan to justify the lack of parity with wage and benefit discrepancies between the water workers and other positions with less stringent qualifications?

COSTING
I would like to request information regarding the financial implications of the ongoing strike. Specifically, how much money is the city spending while this situation remains unresolved? Understanding the costs associated with this strike is essential for the residents of Hamilton, as it directly impacts our community and the essential services we rely on.

We need a equitable resolution to this matter, recognizing the rights of us the workers and the legal obligations of the City of Hamilton. They have publicly stated numerous times that they are champions of transparency, but actions speaker louder than words. Holding the City of Hamilton accountable is crucial for maintaining trust within our community and workforce. Any effort you can make to help resolve this would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Chris Boilard