Striking waste collectors in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon want fair offer on wages before coming back to the bargaining table

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Published December 7, 2021 at 11:04 am

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Fair compensation is top on the list of demands for the union representing waste collection workers on strike in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.

On Monday, workers at Emterra Environment went on strike after a labour dispute with their union, LiUNA Local 183.

Emterra is one of two companies contracted by the Region for waste collection, and the company’s union says workers aren’t being paid the same as other waste collectors hired by the Region’s other waste management firm.

“It is simply not fair for two workers with the same duties to have such a disparity in wages,” said Jack Oliveira, business manager for LiUNA Local 183.

Oliveira said the picketers want to get back to work, but not until Emterra comes to the table with “a fair offer.”

But Emterra said the union has already been presented “a fair and competitive, fully recommended deal.”

The company is asking the union to reconsider the strike action “given the impact this disruption could have on residents in the community, the environment, as well as our employees and their families.”

RELATED: Waste collection workers on strike in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon

“Our pledge is to do our best to minimize the impact on our valued residents, customers and business partners and thank them for their patience and understanding as we work towards a fair settlement,” Brad Muter, chief operations officer for Emterra Group, said in a statement.

The strike means recycling pickup across the region to be put on an indefinite hold, and some 150,000 households could be impacted.

Emterra Environmental waste collection workers also went on strike in Peel back in 2016, and that strike ended after just one day of picketing.

Recycling will not be picked up during the strike and residents are being asked to hold onto recycling “until further notice.”

Bulky items and yard waste will not be picked up, but the Region said all Peel residents should still put garbage and organics at the curb on their designated garbage collection day.

Organics will not be collected on your recycling week but will only be collected on your garbage week.

“We ask for your patience during this time as we work to address expected collection delays and service disruption,” the Region said in a statement.

The Region has provided a map of impacted areas on its website.

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