Ontario government engineers to stop work on Highway 413, Bradford Bypass

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Professional engineers are planning to withdraw services this week from key Ontario infrastructure projects Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass as part of a bargaining dispute with the province.

During a mediator-assisted bargaining session Oct. 18, Treasury Board Secretariat representatives presented a substantially unchanged offer “that does not address the resourcing challenge within the OPS to support Ontario’s infrastructure plans,” Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO) president Nihar Bhatt said in a news release yesterday.

“The intransigence of Treasury Board negotiators continues to be frustrating and inexplicable to our members. Its latest proposal runs directly counter to the needs of Ontario’s infrastructure development and maintenance agenda.” He said: “Without proper investment in Ontario’s vital engineering and surveying functions, this government’s key infrastructure priorities cannot be met on a cost-effective and timely basis.”

Members want a “significant” increase in pay, according to Bhatt, to solve a recruitment and retention crisis.

PEGO represents engineers responsible for overseeing critical government projects, managing the building code, fire codes, air quality regulations, and overseeing significant highway construction efforts such as bridges and road expansions including the entire 400-series highway network and advising on essential provincial initiatives like the Gardiner Expressway and drinking water standards. They have been without a contract for 20 months.

Members’ earnings have fallen to about half of what engineers in similar positions at municipalities earn, the bargaining association said. They are behind the market by 30 to 50 per cent, according to Bhatt.

PEGO has provided the Treasury Board with an analysis showing that PEGO members earn at least 30% to 50% less than they could earn in the broader Ontario market for their skills by working for municipalities, other government agencies, or in the private sector.

Members are “deeply concerned about the challenge Ontario faces in recruiting and retaining expert engineering and land surveying staff,” Bhatt said. “Mounting vacancies could result in impacts and delays on key priorities of the government, including Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, and others – some of which have been recently designated as priority projects for construction.

“It is important to note that successful construction is a result of strong planning and design work in the early stages of complex infrastructure projects – work that PEGO’ engineers and land surveyors are engaged in.

The current proposal ignores pleas of OPS engineering and land surveying managers for adequate resources as well as evidence showing that “Ontario will continue to lose highly skilled engineers and surveyors as they find higher-paying opportunities with other levels of government or the private sector.”