Ontario did not illegally lock out engineers striking on Hwy. 413: labour board [Video]

An Ontario labour tribunal has concluded the Ford government did not illegally lock out striking engineers when it warned some they could not return to work until a new collective agreement was signed or the province gave them permission.

The union representing striking government engineers had complained on Nov. 2 that the province had effectively locked out members who had withdrawn their labour from key projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.

In a decision released Wednesday, the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled it was “not satisfied that the (province) unlawfully locked out any bargaining unit employees or that it threatened to unlawfully lock out any bargaining unit employees.”

The government said in a statement on Friday that it was still working to come to an agreement with the engineering union, which has been without a contract for almost two years.

“We continue to focus on reaching a fair agreement that recognizes the specialized role of PEGO employees,” a spokesperson for …