Hydro seeking to limit delays on picket line

TORONTO, ONTARIO - Hydro One will ask a provincial judge to limit picket-line delays as more than 700 white-collar hydro workers across the province join 300 colleagues already on strike.

The move is the latest incident in a labour dispute between the energy distributor and the Society of Energy Professionals, the union representing more than 1,000 of its supervisors, scientists, engineers and accountants.

"The injunction is specific to overly aggressive picketing activity at our control centre in Barrie," said Hydro One spokesperson Peter Gregg, who accused picketers of delaying non-striking workers from getting into the facility by up to an hour. About 300 workers walked off the job at the Ontario Grid Control Centre in Barrie June 1.

"There's no evidence of violence but there's been some intimidation," he said.

Union officials deny any aggressive job action on their part and plan to defend their right to picket at the injunction, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

"We are making our point, talking to people crossing the line and making sure they understand our issues," said Bill Jones, acting president of the union. "But we are absolutely not aggressive in any sense of the word."

The walkout, affecting more than 100 sites across Ontario, comes amid a heat wave hitting many parts of the province. In Toronto, forecasts are predicting temperatures will soar into the 30s this week, likely to increase electricity use as residents crank up air conditioners.

Union officials say that could pose a problem for the province's already strapped power system. A blackout similar to the one that crippled the province two years ago is more likely to happen again if the labour dispute isn't settled soon, they say.

"I'm not predicting there will actually be a blackout," said Jim MacDonald, sector control supervisor of the Ontario Grid Control Centre. "What I'm saying is the risk increases the longer we're on (strike)."

MacDonald said the power system came close to having a major disruption on Friday, when an unforeseen error occurred in Milton. Although the incident did not have anything to do with the walkout in Barrie, MacDonald says it highlights the vulnerability of the grid.

Hydro One is accusing the union of fear mongering, saying there is no risk of power outages as a result of the strike.

"They are just trying to scare Ontarians into thinking that their absence is going to somehow disrupt the electricity system," said Gregg.

Hydro One and the union have been without a collective agreement since March 31, when the old agreement expired and talks collapsed. In mid-April, workers turned down Hydro One's final offer by a huge majority, voting more than 95 per cent against ratifying the contract.