Ontario-wide hydro strike looms June 6


Substation Relay Protection Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
An additional 100 Hydro One engineers and other professionals were to walk off the job June 3 in support of 200 workers already on strike at a key Barrie control centre.

Bill Jones, acting president of the Society of Energy Professionals Local 160, blamed the expansion of the labour disruption on Hydro One's plans to use buses and helicopters to bring in members of the Power Workers' Union to bypass picket lines at the utility's Ontario grid control centre in Barrie where staff began a strike June 1.

"We live in a society that values freedom of expression," Jones said. "It is shameful to see the management of a public company pay tens of thousands of dollars of ratepayers' money to deny this basic human right (to strike) to their employees."

Peter Gregg, a Hydro One spokesman, said the company will use whatever means necessary to get workers to their jobs "without intimidation by the strikers."

Jones said the strike by professional employees will spread across Ontario JUne 6 if their contract dispute with the province's power distributor is not settled by then.

But Gregg said the system can run for several months without the professionals as trained management staff "will ensure that the system runs reliably."

The workers oppose proposals for a 10 per cent pay cut for new employees and a four-hour increase in their 35-hour week without extra pay.

Related News

Western Canada drought impacting hydropower production as reservoirs run low

Western Canada Hydropower Drought strains British Columbia and Manitoba as reservoirs hit historic lows, cutting…
View more

Power industry may ask staff to live on site as Coronavirus outbreak worsens

Power plant staff sequestration isolates essential operators on-site at plants and control centers, safeguarding critical…
View more

Ontario's five largest electricity providers join together to warn of holiday scams

Ontario Electricity Bill Scams: beware phishing, spoofed calls, fake invoices, and disconnection threats demanding prepaid…
View more

NL Consumer Advocate says 18% electricity rate hike 'unacceptable'

Newfoundland and Labrador electricity rate hike examines a proposed 18.6% increase under the PUB's Rate…
View more

Brenmiller Energy and New York Power Authority Showcase Thermal Storage Success

bGen Thermal Energy Storage stores high-temperature heat in crushed rocks, enabling on-demand steam, hot water,…
View more

Energize America: Invest in a smarter electricity infrastructure

Smart Grid Modernization unites distributed energy resources, energy storage, EV charging, advanced metering, and bidirectional…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified