Toronto area construction strikes to end “in two weeks or less,” builders’ group predicts

Press release received today from the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), which represents new-home and condominium builders.

VAUGHAN, ON, June 1, 2016 /CNW

While new-home buyers are suffering through the worst round of collective bargaining for residential construction for the GTA in almost 20 years, the strikes will be over in two weeks or less, says the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON).

In 1998, a tumultuous era of strikes led to the creation of labour legislation mandating a 46-day strike window from May 1st to June 15th. This means any trade which has not reached an agreement before June 15th will have their outstanding issues decided by an arbitrator. However, workers could return to building new homes and condos even sooner if a tentative agreement is reached or if the parties involved agree to arbitration.

“While the vast majority of more than 20 trades involved in low-rise and high-rise residential construction have settled and ratified agreements, the drywall, trim and tile trades remain on strike,” RESCON president Richard Lyall said. “It has been a frustrating time for new-home buyers. We look forward to seeing the GTA residential construction strikes end no later than June 15th.”

The work disruption comes after 18 years of labour peace and six successful rounds of bargaining, which occur every three years. The impact of the strike will depend on the status of houses and projects before the strikes began. Homes waiting for drywall, trim or tile will be impacted relatively more than houses at other stages of construction.

“RESCON will continue to monitor the situation and share up-to-date information with our members, key stakeholders and the public as it becomes available,” RESCON vice-president Andrew Pariser said. “In the meantime, we encourage new-home buyers to contact their builders for specific information on your new home or condo.”

What is RESCON? RESCON is the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, a unique association that represents new-home and condominium builders on issues which include labour relations, health and safety, WSIB, labour training and apprenticeship, building code reform and technical standards.